Sea Pirates

[user999]

Somalia crackpots

Did anyone see the 2-hour program that recently aired on TV regarding the increasing problem with modern-day pirates robbing or taking over vessels at sea? One ship used an unusual non-lethal countermeasure to stop the attack. The device concentrates sound waves at the pirates, making it impossible for them to continue the attack. I like it!!

You are talking about few crackpots that have "attacked" a Seaborn Spirit near coast of Somalia. They have managed to fire a rocked propelled granade and a lot af 7.62 rounds. At the end, they were blasted away with LRAD, and gone in unknown direction. Security officer got wounded from the granade blast, and LRAD operator got hit with 7.62 round through the device he was using to blast their eardrums.

[integrator97]

Current article on the goings on lately.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071102/...entury_pirates
slideshow:
http://news.yahoo.com/photos/ss/even...B20k5psF8V6w8F
Video:
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/play...26714&src=news

[NRM_Oz]

9 years back I had a CPP job to escort a known VIP to his 130ft boat and we went about 250 NMs offshore for him to link up with his main ship (ok this bloke is now dead and basically owned the media in Australia) and were permitted to be armed as it was international waters and I was working from my home state. but coming back into port the Harbour Master was advised of my firearm and under escort it was secured by the pilot in his wheel house safe until we reached the dock where I had to hand over the necessary forms to have it returned to me. There was 2 of us working under the command of the captain and for those 3 days it was pure fear inside of me.

[bpdblue]

United States Navy to the rescue

I recently read a news story about "modern pirates" hitting ships off the coast of AFRICA.

The US NAVY went to the rescue of a couple of ships being attacked (one being a North Korean vessel) and, of course, kicked pirate Butt.

The article suggested our navy will be conducting more attacks on the pirate vessels, which should show those fools how truely kicking a** & taking names is done the AMERICAN way, if enough of their body parts can be found to make an identification, that is.

Sorry to those outside of the USA, who are on this forum (for my sounding egotistical about our capabilities), but I am quite proud of our military and its' ability to, "do it all to all those that need it to be done to," around the world, on a moments notice. It makes this (slightly) older american boy PROUD.

[NRM_Oz]

Our Aussie Navy runs p3 Orion and patrol boats up along the North of Australia to keep illegal fishing and ships out of Australian waters as well as in protected zones. It is an endless fight as these mainly Indonesian boats are 1/2 sunk before they get close and will gladly risk anything for their illegal catches of shark fin and abelone too.

[bpdblue]

Aussie's are in it too

I know the aussie military is in the fight against the bad folk of the world. It is Great to be partners with them in the fight.

[Penthrox]

Our Aussie Navy runs p3 Orion and patrol boats up along the North of Australia to keep illegal fishing and ships out of Australian waters as well as in protected zones. It is an endless fight as these mainly Indonesian boats are 1/2 sunk before they get close and will gladly risk anything for their illegal catches of shark fin and abelone too.

We have a navy????

Oh wait thats canada

[shepardh1]

HudsonTrident & Decatur

Did anyone see the 2-hour program that recently aired on TV regarding the increasing problem with modern-day pirates robbing or taking over vessels at sea? One ship used an unusual non-lethal countermeasure to stop the attack. The device concentrates sound waves at the pirates, making it impossible for them to continue the attack. I like it!!

There is a whole industry out there to combat it... companies like HudsonTrident & Decatur Maritime Security have high tech equip & training, mostly SEALS and retired NAVY experts... imagine how cool it would be to list as your occupation; PIRATE-FIGHTER!

[shepardh1]

Daniel Randall

I'm sure that they will air it again. Another facet to this technology is the use of pulsating lights/certain odors that cause severe nausea. I don't know anyone who can resist once the nausea becomes intense. It will bring a criminal down to the ground.

Is this the technology Dan Randall is working on at decatur-ms? Cool stuff!

[SpecialAgentKC]

The exceedingly high-volume instrument is the Long Range Acoustical Device (LRAD). It is now available to soldiers in the field. My unit was the first known to use it against the enemy in ground combat:

http://www.psywarrior.com/361stPsyopIraq.html

The enemy didn't like it much and the employing soldier caught a bullet for his troubles.... Luckily, he survived. Bad guys don't like loudspeaker teams, I find. --K.

[integrator97]

30 crew members taken hostage as pirates seize yacht off Somalia's coast

France tries to save yacht crew from pirates
30 crew members taken hostage as pirates seize yacht off Somalia's coast
updated 9:49 a.m. CT, Sat., April. 5, 2008
PARIS - France's military is keeping close tabs on a French luxury yacht seized by pirates off Somalia's coast, and officials hope to avoid using force to free the 30 crew members, the prime minister said Saturday.

Attackers stormed the 288-foot Le Ponant on Friday as it returned without passengers from the Seychelles, in the Indian Ocean, toward the Mediterranean Sea, officials with French maritime transport company CMA-CGM said.

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said officials were "following the hostage situation minute by minute."

"Our priority is to protect the lives of the people on board," Fillon said while visiting the town of Le Mans. "All channels of discussion are open to try to resolve this case by trying not to use force."

France has considerable military resources in the region, including a base in Djibouti and a naval flotilla circulating in the Indian Ocean.

A French frigate, Le Commandant Bouan, was temporarily diverted from its role in the naval arm of Operating Enduring Freedom on Friday to track the yacht, military spokesman Cmdr. Christophe Prazuck said. A Canadian helicopter on the HCMS Charlottetown also was taking part, he said.

Pirates active in region
The yacht was in the high seas in the Gulf of Aden, off Somalia's coast in the Indian Ocean, the French Foreign Ministry said. At least some of the crew members are French, and no other nationalities were specified.

According to the company's Web site, the three-mast boat features four decks, two restaurants, and indoor and outdoor luxury lounges. It can hold up to 64 passengers.

Le Ponant was next scheduled to carry passengers as part of a 10-day, 7-night trip from Alexandria, Egypt, to Valletta, Malta, starting April 19. Prices started at $3,465, not including air fare or taxes.

Pirates seized more than two dozen ships off Somalia's coast last year.

Denmark's government paid a ransom to win the release in August of the crew of a Danish cargo ship that was hijacked by Somali pirates some two months after they were taken captive.

The U.S. Navy has led international patrols to try to combat piracy in the region. Last year, the guided missile destroyer USS Porter opened fire to destroy pirate skiffs tied to a Japanese tanker.

Wracked by more than a decade of violence and anarchy, Somalia does not have its own navy, and a transitional government formed in 2004 with U.N. help has struggled to assert control.

The International Maritime Bureau, which tracks piracy, said in its annual report earlier this year that global pirate attacks rose 10 percent in 2007, marking the first increase in three years

[Bill Warnock]

It is interesting to note no Russian or Chinese flagged vessels have been seized. These folks are brazen, not stupid.
Enjoy the day,
Bill

[integrator97]

It is interesting to note no Russian or Chinese flagged vessels have been seized. These folks are brazen, not stupid.
Enjoy the day,
Bill

Is that because they would do whatever it takes to get the vessel back, regardless of lost passengers or crew? Unlike the US and most other countries, which will avoid harm to them.

[Mr. Security]

A boat of that size being seized by pirates is unacceptable especially since this problem is well known in the industry. As usual someone dropped the ball and now innocent people are in harms way. Let me guess who: A security manager?

[integrator97]

France raid ship after crew freed

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7342292.stm
French commandos have carried out a helicopter raid against a group of Somali pirates soon after they released 30 hostages from a luxury French yacht.

Gen Jean-Louis Georgelin said troops moved in after the Ponant came ashore, seized six pirates and probably found part of a ransom paid by its owners.

Local officials said at least three people died in the raid, but France denied there had been any casualties.

The 850-tonne boat and its 30 crew were seized in the Gulf of Aden last Friday.

It was then moored near the port of Eyl in the northern Somali semi-autonomous Puntland region, while the pirates held negotiations with its owners, French charter company CMA-CGM.

'Interesting bags'

Gen Georgelin, the chief of staff of the French armed forces, said the pirates had released the hostages without incident earlier on Friday.

Once the crew had been brought ashore safely, French attack helicopters tracked the pirates, believed to be fishermen, to the village of Jariban and moved in when they saw some of them attempting to flee the scene, the general said.

A sniper disabled the engine of the get-away car, while another helicopter dropped off three French commandos who captured six of the 12 pirates.

The pirates "gave themselves up without too much difficulty", the general said, adding that those captured would be handed over to French justice officials.

"It was an intervention, not a pulverisation," he added.

Gen Georgelin said that in the course of the operation, troops had also recovered "interesting bags" and "some of the ransom that was probably paid".

"Naturally, absolutely no public money was paid in this affair," he added.

Somali officials and sources close to the negotiations said the owner of the yacht had paid a $2m (£1m; 1.3m euros) ransom for the crew's release.

The governor of Mudug, Abdul Kadir Ahmed, said three bodies had been recovered after the operation and that eight people had been wounded.

But French President Nicolas Sarkozy's office strongly denied that anyone was killed in the operation. President Nicolas Sarkozy earlier thanked the French military for their role in ending the crisis.

"The president expresses his deep gratitude to the French armed forces and all the state services which enabled a rapid and peaceful solution to this hostage-taking," a statement said.

Threat

France has troops in nearby Djibouti and also participates in a multi-national naval force that patrols this part of the Indian Ocean.

Somali coastal waters are known to be among the most hazardous in the world. More than 25 ships were seized there by pirates in 2007.

The threat from pirates prompted France to order its navy, in November last year, to escort two ships carrying food aid to Somalia.

In November 2005, pirates attempted to board a cruise ship carrying 600 passengers off the Somali coast.

Somalia has not had an effective central government for more than 17 years and is plagued by insecurity.