21st Century Piracy

[helicopper 1,050]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,479045,00.html

Hard to believe that in this day and age piracy is still alive and well.

[Bunkers 0]

Piracy off the eastern coast of africa has been very common. There have been numerous hijackings in the nigeria/somalia area recently. The UN and NATO are starting to get on top of things over there but getting to the pirates is a very hairy task. A few weeks ago, the Indian Navy was able to chase off a pirate "mothership" and was able to fire upon a few of the smaller skiffs which they use to take over the targeted merchant ships. These pirates are nasty individuals, not like the glorified "pirates of the caribbean" and will do just about anything to get their ransoms..

Down at NY Maritime on the training ship, Empire State, we conduct security drills while underway. The mates on the ship claim that if a pirate knows that you know that theyre there, they will generally keep away as they wont be able to acheive their surprise attacks. In our security drills, people man spotlights and others man 2 1/2 inch hose lines up on deck. I dont know what good a 2 1/2 would do vs an RPG or machine gun but it is something we still do.

[helicopper 1,050]

And a cruise ship captain ran off a group of pirates by trying to ram their boats when they came after his full-size cruise ship.

[RescueKujo 130]

Is anyone installing more of the audio security features that defeated some pirates early last year? What I saw on news reports, you can't be in front of these things for long without it affecting you in some way..

[Bunkers 0]

Kujo,

I dont think many merchant shipping companies could afford those. Only the DOD writes checks that big

[x129K 1,393]

Yarrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!

[ny10570 745]

How about first rule of being a pirate...know how to swim.

[JBE 328]

AMEN!!!! I had to laugh when I heard about that. I am honestly surprised some of these shipping companies haven't shelled out a few bucks for some M-60's or 50 Cal Machine guns to handle the problem.

[Guest Firediver]

Flagged States usually do not allow armed guards ON their vessels, also the fact that they will be sailing through some waterways of some countries that DO NOT allow armed guards on vessels. The company can hire an armed escort (i.e. BlackWater, Triple Canopy etc.) but they can only protect the escorted ship at the time. But it is funny, RPG, AK-47 no PFD? LMFAO!!! They float like rocks!!!

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

One would think that someone would go out and rescue them for no other reason than to get the cash that the pirates had from the ransom.