Saturday - October 04, 2008

Weekly Piracy Roundup

• World-wide cooperation and coordination happening at last?

  DEAUVILLE, France - Armed pirates aboard fast-moving skiffs have increasingly turned the shipping lanes off Somalia into a lucrative hunting grounds: commandeering vessels large and small and leaving the world’s maritime powers frustrated about how to stop the seafaring bandits.

  Now, however, momentum is growing for coordinated international action to back up the sharp response after the stunning seizure late last month of a Ukrainian cargo ship laden with tanks and heavy weaponry — as the pirates quickly found themselves encircled by U.S. warships and receiving only silence to their demands for millions of dollars in ransom.

  It could be a sign of a more aggressive and unified front in the one of the world’s most important shipping lanes.

  “Navy boats can’t be everywhere at all times.”
  “Frankly we could put 250 boats out there and we’d never be sure we’re free from hostage-takings,” said one French defense official on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the issue. “It’s a little bit like fighting the drugs trade — there’s no watertight solution.”



• Russia arriving in force to help with tank carrying freighter
  

  Moscow will work with the U.S. and the European Union to fight piracy off the African coast and elsewhere, Russia’s foreign minister said.

  The Somali government has given foreign powers the freedom to use force against the pirates holding the Faina and its 20 crew members. It is anchored near the central Somali town of Hobyo, with six American warships within 10 miles of it.

  Russia is sending the guided missile frigate Neustrashimy, but it has a long long journey to get there.


• Go ahead and kill them! Somalia allows foreign forces to use whatever force necessary

  MOGADISHU, Somalia — Foreign powers can use force if necessary to free a hijacked cargo ship loaded with battle tanks and heavy ammunition, Somalia’s foreign ministry declared Wednesday — increasing pressure on the Somali pirates who have demanded a $20 million ransom.  ... “The international community has permission to fight with the pirates,” Ali told The Associated Press on Wednesday.



• Arrgh, take that ya scurvy dogs!

  MOGADISHU, Somalia — Disagreements between Somali pirates holding a ship laden with tanks and heavy weapons escalated into a shootout and three pirates are believed dead, a U.S. defense official said Tuesday. The pirates denied the report.



• Pirates still holding Iranian poison ship


• 8 incidents of piracy and attempted piracy just this week
  Oh for goodness’ sake. Some of these pirates are trying to hijack ships and all they have for weapons are a few knives!

These are modern pirate ships in action. What used to be called whaleboats. I think you could sink one with a hand grenade:

This is the hijacked Iranian poison ship:

This is the Faina, the Ukrainian container ship with the Russian tanks onboard:

Gee whiz. 4 or 6 mounted machine guns per ship and a crate or two of M14s and not one of these pirates could get near even the smaller freighters. This is the downside of having such high levels of automation on today’s ships. Extremely small crews leave no manpower to repel boarders. Even if they try, the loss of 2 or 3 crewmen makes the ship nearly inoperable, and certainly indefensible. No, add 20 extra men, all of them armed. When pirates aren’t around they can paint stuff. Ships always need scaling and painting. Always.

So shipowners are turning to things like the Secure-Ship, a system that mounts electrified fence wires around the ship to zap intruders. Ooh, but it’s non-lethal! Nice idea. Until the pirates learn to throw a length of chain or wire across it, shorting the thing out. And in the meantime, it really gives your crew a great incentive not to fall overboard!

Posted by Drew458     on 10/04/2008 at 01:00 PM   
Filed Under: • Pirates, aarrgh! •  
• Comments (3) • Trackbacks (0) • Permalink •  

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