Weapons against pirate attacks

Recently saw movie CAPTAIN PHILLIPS about hijacking of MV MAERSK ALABAMA (April 9-12 2009) off Somalia by
pirates. The MAERSK ALABAMA captain, Richard Phillips, was kidnapped by the pirates who escaped in lifeboat
after hijacking attempt failed. Pirates were cornered and killed by US Navy Seal snipers (3 killed, 1 captured and
imprisioned)

The MAERSK ALABAMA crew attempted to prevent the hijacking by radical maneuvers and by using firehoses
rigged on the railings to keep pirates from using scaling ladders to cllimb aboard

The crew also fired off flares

Firearms are prohibited on most merchant vessels, many countries, India especially, prohibit firearms (recently seized
a ship and arrested crew carrying cache of weapons for security guards hired to protect ships from attack)

Was thinking about using flare pistol to fire special ammunition against pirates

DRAGONS BREATH - fires 12 gauge round loaded with magnesium powder creating a cloud of burning magnesium

Max range is 100 ft (30 m) with optimium range 30 ft (9 m) giving useful standoff range

The burning magnesium will create 3rd degree burns if touches skin and ignite clothing

Firing at pirates attempting to board a ship should prove very effexctive

Here is Dragons Breath in action starts at 4:20

www.youtube.com...

DRAGONS BREATH is AWESOME.

Figure

that combined with this



Equals crispy pirates.

of course, firearm restrictions apply still, so... yea...

There is always the tried and proven system which has become the bane of a protestors existence when they are driven in on Humvees or other vehicles to blast eardrums to the point of real pain.

When used in other circumstances and against people who aren't merely protesting but looking to capture and/or kill for profit? Well....

On November 7, 2005 LRAD was first used to foil a pirate attack on a Seabourn Cruise Line luxury cruise. The system was installed as a part of the ship's defense systems, and was activated when pirates attacked the ship with RPGs 160 kilometers off the Somali coast . The pirates failed to board the cruiser. LRAD's maritime application was realized after the 2000 attack on the USS Cole off Yemen, as a way to keep operators of small boats from approaching US warships.

Source

Perhaps ships need a few of these in an array down both sides when they are going through high piracy areas. If that isn't effective enough, there are more ...direct means of "area denial" by non-lethal means. Microwave units exist which cause the sensation of burning alive until the target exits the beam area or it's turned off. Again....a horrible system when used against a protestor or, recently, prisoners in some jails. When the alternative is being taken by pirates though? It's not a bad idea at all, IMO.

There are few personnel issues that a Mark 19 and some M2's on deck rail pintle mounts can't resolve.

Alas, civilian ships are constrained on what sort of firepower they can mount.

A rapier, a hook hand & a cannon...what else are you supposed to fight pirates with?

reply to post by firefight


The problem with using any kind of offensive weapon is that then you piss the pirates off, and they go on a killing spree, and kill at least some of your crew in revenge. Which is one reason so many companies banned any kind of weapons. They'd rather pay ransom and get the crew back, along with the ship, than be sued for wrongful death and pay out even more.

The best weapon of the lot!

Britney Spears Music Used To Scare Off Somali Pirates

Whoever believes that Britney Spears' music isn't powerful, need think again. Chart toppers like "Hit Me Baby One More Time" and "Oops I Did it Again" have proven to be effective weapons when blasted at approaching Somali Pirates who reportedly retreat at the mere sound of the songstress.

Full Article: www.breitbart.com...

On a serious note, the Japanese have been using highly directional sonic weapons for a couple of years now against Green Peace in the Antarctic with a rather good success. Apparently they are so loud they can burst ear-drums.

As opposed to shooting every pirate, even organising pirate hunting events for tourists where they can shoot them like animals, we need to look at the motives for the pirates and why they are resorting to it.
One of the reasons is because of international fishing vessels overfishing their waters to the extent they are forced into the lucrative trade to feed their families. Not defending their actions by any stretch, but thought I would put it out there.

Objective in repelling pirate attack is to keep them boarding the ship

Tactics range from using speed and maneuvering to prevent pirate launches from gaining position to
attach ladders to climb onto deck of ship, wrapping razor wire around railings and access points, using sound
prejectors or fire hoses

Point is whether a simple flare gun can be turned into effective weapon against such attacks

Special rounds like Dragon Breath offer one path - have a buring cloud of magnesium fired at you seems
effective. Especially if trying to climb up a pitching ladder to deck .

Here is another modiifaction of shotgun shell to fire in a flare gun

www.youtube.com...

Here is how shell was nodified

www.youtube.com...

Was using what appears to be birdshot - wondering if larger load, say using #4 buckshot (.24 in pellets, 27 in
standard 2 3/4 in shell) using some 10-12 pellets in load to avoid over stressing flare gun would work....

reply to post by Zaphod58


i say kill them then hang them from the yard arms and speak on contious loop over loud speakers in pirates native tongue all pirates who board are leaving by short drop and sudden stop. yes i know boo hoo somali fishermen were pushed into this by big chinese canning ships stealing all their fish. so chase them out of area don't take and ransom them.

reply to post by firefight


The best way to handle the pirates is to really make a stand. After the word spreads that they are being killed in mass trying to board ships they will think twice.



But in the politically correct world we live in these scum bags receive sympathy when they should receive what is coming to them.

reply to post by SubTruth


It has nothing to do with a "politically correct world" it has to do with a corporation seeing the difference between paying a one time $10M payment (or whatever it is) as opposed to paying 10-15 times as much after the deaths of a crew, and the lawsuits sure to follow it.

coldkidc
A rapier, a hook hand & a cannon...what else are you supposed to fight pirates with?

Ninjas.

The only viable countermeasure.

reply to post by firefight


What's the point?

Don't attacking pirates have actual rifles and heavier crew-mounted weapons with much longer range than this?

Isn't there a reason why soldiers have rifles and not shotguns?

Who's going to stand on the deck and wait for them to come into range while they're shooting and you?

If you're gonna escalate, you better win. Like a torpedo or guided missile.

reply to post by firefight


The military version of lrad also has the ability to fry you with microwave that heats you up, literally lol. Look I been hit with it, you will get out of the beam. It is intense. The acoustics will make you disoriented and sick to stomach as well as blurred vision. It is the only weapon needed if it is only one or two boats.

Bottom line is we the consumers who need demand these boats defend themselves. Every time a ransom is paid we lose. That cost eventually gets past onto us, even if it was insured. This unacceptable. Hey that American should not have been taken.

Why are we talking about this, defend yourself, waste their pirate butts. Seriously, give them what they deserve, why are they putting lives at risk. These guys are using real bullets. We should not be talking about non lethal weapons.

Just waste em, they understand this.

The Bot

Zaphod58
reply to post by SubTruth

 

It has nothing to do with a "politically correct world" it has to do with a corporation seeing the difference between paying a one time $10M payment (or whatever it is) as opposed to paying 10-15 times as much after the deaths of a crew, and the lawsuits sure to follow it.

The only thing the crew is going to die of is old age if the pirates are all killed. I am not sure why you are so hung up on they will take revenge.......these scum bags care about themselves. If you killed one of there cousins or buddies they could care less.



And let's just say they do try to take revenge you kill them in the water also. Problem solved. Like I said before this comes down to corporations not wanting dead pirates on their hands.........Not worrying about revenge.

If not for lawsuits. .. I'd go with high powered laser dazzlers. Blind the ones looking at you and aiming at you from outside the firing range of the weapons. after blinding crew....ram the pirates' vessel

Ship if boarded unwanted, would do immediate scan of assessed crew and non crew all others unwanted present would be subdued by ship ai systems with stun or projectile emitters (depending on threat level) of some kind embedded but hidden thorough out ship.

Using ships at sea a invisible undetected gas released near ship or structure would induce sleep and or paralysis to all present on and around ship. Respirators worn or not for the particulate matter would cause paralysis and induce sleep as it entered hvac units and made inhaled or direct contact w/ targeted...

Snirt the lawsuits.

A bunch of M79 grenade launchers would be my choice. You want to sink their boats as well as er, damage them all (in self defense of course.) Leave nothing but an oil slick.

I can understand a country not wanting foreign merchant marine sailors to have firearms they can carry, but not allowing the ships to have mounted weapon systems like some 50cals is just absurd in today’s world. Merchant ships were certainly allowed to carry such armament during WWII for protection from U boats. If the shipping companies wanted to push this point, all it would take is a few weeks boycotting the countries that set such laws. It wouldn't take much pressure before local companies would cave in after not getting their product out, and imports not making it to store shelves. then the local businesses and manufacturers would come down on their respective governments to change those laws.

Those LARS weapons, eh, not buying that they are very effective. Simple hearing protectors will get around them. Don't believe everything you see on “whale wars”.

Lets face it, the majority of pirates are capable to board ships using their little wooden fishing boats simply because they have guns and the crew doesn't. I read a report a couple of years back that detailed the fact that the majority of pirates are using unsafe weapons (for them to operate) and simple wooden boats (comparable to old life rafts).

It's all based on fear. The fear that the pirates have weapons and you don't. Even if that weapon is a rusty piece of junk, it's still a weapon and able to instil a sense of fear. I personally believe that all ships should have a small armed security force on duty when traveling through these waters.

Youtube - Bloomberg: Some ships now armed

Youtube - Firing at pirates

The only reason why pirates are an issue off the Somali coast is because the ships are easy targets. It's akin to having a money transport without armed guards. Once you arm the ships, the pirates will realize that these aren't simply targets waiting to be boarded, but rather ships with armed guards that will defend the ship, cargo and crew. And it's a shame to say it, but when enough pirates get hurt (or killed) they'll start thinking twice about trying to capture one.