Comments on: Anti-Piracy Weapons – Top 10 For Future Use In Somalia

By: Jim Cowling

Jim Cowling — Tue, 26 May 2009 08:19:05 +0000

Well said Tom! My company (Shipguard) has a hundred former Royal Marines, an arsenal to die for (excuse the pun); and we can't get any business because they think we are going to start WW3! Hardly. I am becoming increasingly amazed and frustrated at how stupid people in high places can be. On one of our courses recently, we were audited by a top man from the UK Govt. While discussing search techniques, I started telling delegates what the law says about the use of force. He starting shouting that we can't use force. So I asked him what he would do when conducting a personal gate search if he found someone was carrying – he said 'You mustn't touch them, just follow them around and report if they do anything'. No wonder we're in such a mess. PC gone horribly wrong. We have a bunch of academic pen-pushers and box-tickers in charge who are afraid of litigation and have no practical experience and understanding of security. Idiots.

By: Tom

Tom — Mon, 25 May 2009 20:44:49 +0000

This is nuts. You name your town, anywhere in the USA and the local police are armed. They have a hand gun, shot gun and an AR-15. Who are they armed against? US citizens who might give them trouble. Evey bank, 7-11, etc, has someone pick up and or deliver money, these guys are armed. A cargo vessel or tanker has 100's of millions of dollars worth of cargo. No armed protection? Only willing to use non lethal defenses? WTF? Who are these pirates that are armed with heavy machine guns and rockets willing to kidnap and kill ship crews that they deserve to have non lethal force when the average US citizen does not get this? Why are we going through all this expense robot boats super speakers and other contortions when a 50 cal and a few big guns is what is needed. I am sure there are plenty of cargo ships out there that are independently armed to the teeth. I have no doubt on this. It's not reported by the PC press. But its time we take this threat seriously a deal with it.

By: Smudge

Smudge — Fri, 22 May 2009 23:16:29 +0000

Yeah I've heard that about LRAD company too. Much more promising is the Magnetic Audio Device or MAD, which I've used loads of time as a private security contractor onboard ships doing Gulf of Aden transits. its much easier to move and compared to the LRAD and Hyperspikes that Ive used is more powerful. We combined it with a makeshift electrified fence around the vessels freeboard on one transit and the pirates didnt even bother firing, they just turned and went and attacked another ship behind us, which they hijacked!

By: ryan

ryan — Tue, 05 May 2009 06:04:22 +0000

i dont understand this crap about non leathal weaponry they are pirates, the shipping comarny should buy an ar-15 for the crew, train them how to use it and arm the ship with a few 20mm cannons, much less expensive than paying ransom, much more effective than some speaker crap.

By: Steven Decatur

Steven Decatur — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 01:38:57 +0000

Thomas Jefferson would call this a wimpy response. Truth is, the solution is to pull into their ports and shell their towns. Much as the US Navy did during the Barbery Pirate's actions. Further, the merchantmen need to protect themselves ACTIVELY. This means they need to be armed in some manner. There is no reason a container carrier couldn't carry a couple of pods with some BOFORS cannons and blow the scumbags out of the water. Further, individual scumbags found at sea should be SUMMARILY hung by the ship's captain that catches them. No need for trial. It's the high seas. Much like the law of land warfare – there is solution already for this type of behavior but folks are too squeamish to apply them. There is no right to due process for non Americans. So screwem.

By: Jim Cowling

Jim Cowling — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:08:49 +0000

Weapons are a proven deterrent. Not one armed vessel has been hijacked. End of story. A very visible team of ex-RM types armed with HV and intelligently applied razor-wire will send pirates elsewhere. Regards, JimC www.shipguard.eu

By: High-tech vs. the pirates « Taufiq Affandi Simon

High-tech vs. the pirates « Taufiq Affandi Simon — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:51:11 +0000

[...] fences, robo-boats, sonic blasters and “pain rays.” The gCaptain blog provides not just one, but two top-ten lists of anti-piracy [...]

By: Tom Ascher

Tom Ascher — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 20:40:50 +0000

Simple solution. Have cargo ships equipped with device that takes out steering when attacked. Then, pirates have no way to bring booty home. Ship will just meander out of control until navy vessels can arrive and confront.

By: Adamek Yak

Adamek Yak — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:52:43 +0000

The UN should get together and clean up the whole coast line of Somalia along with the pirates. If they do not it will grow a lot worse. Let us not look for small solution. The only thing the pirates will respect is force.

By: john

john — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 01:45:02 +0000

just shoot them simple and stop all this nonsese