Go Navy!

[MORAY37]

Arming merchant ships won't work. It will only lead to escalation by the side that can afford to and have access to the heavier weapons.  Pirates will end up with heavier and heavier weapons due to the fact they have access to the black market.  Shipping companies cannot.  As well, you give weapons to merchants that have no training.... a recipe for disaster.  They have a right to defend themselves, but are not a flagged warship, and cannot engage any vessel directly.  Therefore, anything larger than small arms is out.  Meanwhile, as stated, the pirates have access to a larger choice of weaponry via the black market.


 Putting Small groups of highly trained special weapons teams onboard ships transitting the area may have effect in the short term, but may be a fuzzy gray area in treatise law.  It would give those pirates a bit of pause, if they think a ship has a tactical response team onboard. 

A larger naval presence... would mitigate the pirates with brute force, but would also be costly for our Navy.

The only true solution is a Somalia with a stable power base that can effect policy and enforce law on it's own internal affairs.  This is, unfortunately, the most improbable, as the country's current government has control on about 2 square miles of the capital... and that's about it.

[Angus]

Don't know about you Moray, but somehow think I'd be better off with some trusty firearm. Somehow think the Pirates would also think twice before.
Q ships?

[FiLtH]

History repeats itself?

Ironic that it was almost exactly 200 years ago that there was a pirate problem being dealt with by the U.S. around that area?

Maybe it's time to follow through?



wrongway

   I was just reading up on it lastnight. I had remembered an old book I had that had the Phillidelphia capture in it. I dug it out and read. The US did sent ships there I think ir was around 1804, and there was that whacky coalition of ground troops that were to capture some cities but the tribute was paid to the Pasha long after up till 1816, but thats all it said. Not sure why we continued paying, or why it stopped then.

[MORAY37]

Don't know about you Moray, but somehow think I'd be better off with some trusty firearm. Somehow think the Pirates would also think twice before.
Q ships?

Like I said, Small arms fine.  But, they'd have to wait to shoot until the pirates are on the ship. 

International law states that merchantman cannot engage another ship on the high seas.  Otherwise, they are a flagged ship of war, and the country they are flagged under is responsible for their actions. Therefore,  a company cannot control a ship of war.

  In WW2, our merchant fleet became flagged ships under national control, and were therefore able to carry medium defensive armaments.  (3" and 5" along with 20 and 40mm for air.)

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Like I said, Small arms fine.  But, they'd have to wait to shoot until the pirates are on the ship. 

International law states that merchantman cannot engage another ship on the high seas.  Otherwise, they are a flagged ship of war, and the country they are flagged under is responsible for their actions. Therefore,  a company cannot control a ship of war.

  In WW2, our merchant fleet became flagged ships under national control, and were therefore able to carry medium defensive armaments.  (3" and 5" along with 20 and 40mm for air.)

Maybe merchant ships could learn from South Africa where they developed underbody flamethrowers to repel carjackers. The idea is that with a press of a button the car owner can incinerate anything within 3 feet of the car. This should work well against pirates trying to board the ship..

Then again they'd probably rpg the waterline as their next move. I think the solution is to nuke them from orbit.