Stopping the pirates

[BirraImperial]

This was an entertaining article.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27785116/

I agree with the article, they probably went too far this time, now they brought up the attention of the entire World on themselves...

 

[Perfection]

This.

WHoever controls planet controls the spice. Whoever controls the spice controls the universe.

Wrong Game

 

[ravensfire]

Short of hiring mercenaries, it seems like it would be pretty cheap just to mount machine guns bow and stern, and train the crew to use them once a year. Keep em covered up so the salt doesn't get in, and boats start getting too close, open em up.

The danger is that the pirates are armed with RPG's. When the merc's open up with the machine guns, the pirates start blowing large holes in the ship.

-- Ravensfire

 

[Bugfatty300]

The danger is that the pirates are armed with RPG's. When the merc's open up with the machine guns, the pirates start blowing large holes in the ship.

-- Ravensfire

Didn't they already shoot at a US destroyer with RPGs and all they did was poke tiny holes in the hull? It kind of makes sense since an RPG is designed to take out armor with concentrated jets of force and not blow gaping holes in ships.

 

[Quiet Sound]

This was an entertaining article.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27785116/

I don't think I can agree with the logic of that article.

Its owner, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, sports seven frigates with missile ranges up to 180 kilometers, four corvettes built by the U.S. Navy, attack boats, helicopters, and 1,200 marines.

But the pirates have a supertanker and its cargo of oil.

It seems unlikely King Abdullah is going to watch $224,000,000 (oil + Google-guesstimate value of the tanker) evaporate so he can blow up a dozen pirates when he could pay a ransom instead and avoid his ship and its oil being sunk by said pirates.

 

[Shylock]

Mercs are probably the most effective way but they're expensive and pirate "threats" are kind of overrated. They don't really capture or attack very many ships, just the ones you read about in the news every once and a while. If they did disrupt shipping as much as we are made to believe then we would be bombing Somalia right now.

Presently the most cost effective thing to do is to ignore the threat, make sure your pirate insurance is in order and simply hope one of your ships isn't unlucky enough to be targeted.

Pirates could happen to anybody.

 

[Sui Generis]

All Pirates cannot be stopped. Lets stat this fact first.

With that fact stated, we can find a solution.


I propose that a multi-national blockade of the Somali coast be enacted.

 

[Dachs]

I propose that a multi-national blockade of the Somali coast be enacted.

So what is Combined Task Force 150, chopped liver?

 

[Sui Generis]

So what is Combined Task Force 150, chopped liver?

No, I am talking about a complete blockade of Somali waters. No Somali ships beyond 5 miles outside the coast.

 

[philippe]

just send ethopia in to ravage the port cities like eyl.

 

[GinandTonic]

But the pirates have a supertanker and its cargo of oil.

It seems unlikely King Abdullah is going to watch $224,000,000 (oil + Google-guesstimate value of the tanker) evaporate so he can blow up a dozen pirates when he could pay a ransom instead and avoid his ship and its oil being sunk by said pirates.

So he pays up and as soon as the tanker in in the hands of the Saudi Navy he sends in the airforce to conduct a punative raid. Rather a sizeable airforce.

 

[Bugfatty300]

No, I am talking about a complete blockade of Somali waters. No Somali ships beyond 5 miles outside the coast.

How do you know if a ship is Somali, Kenyan, Yemeni, Indian? It's not hard to slap someone else's flag on your ship.

 

[Patroklos]

You board them and inspect their papers, which is a time consuming and dangerous prospect, which is why it will not happen.

We could just blockade the whole place, but a good portion of the boats out there are actually still fishermen.

 

[Bugfatty300]

BTW, Pat, what would be done if a ship was caught flying the flag of a country other than the one it was registered to? I've always wondered about that.

 

[alcal]

Why don't the shipping companies hire a 2-3 mercenaries to defend their ships? I mean it would be really easy to sink those rubber dingies.

Who care? Untill the attack our enemy (Iran, Saudis, Honk kong...) they are ok for me.

 

[Patroklos]

Depending on the area, anything from seizure to a fine. In a place like the HOA it would be siezed and the crew detained.

There really is no reason to fly a false flag unless you actually are doing something wrong (and thus we would find that in the boarding as well), because certain countries issue out registrations will little to no requirements. Thats why probably 50% of the worlds shipping is flagged either Panama or Liberia.

 

[alcal]

Didn't they already shoot at a US destroyer with RPGs and all they did was poke tiny holes in the hull? It kind of makes sense since an RPG is designed to take out armor with concentrated jets of force and not blow gaping holes in ships.

What about a light armored ship ful of oil?

 

[Bugfatty300]

What about a light armored ship ful of oil?

Oilers, I believe, are by treaty-law double hulled, designed to withstand icebergs and rocks. You'd probably need something heavier than an RPG to penetrate it. Even if it did penetrate I don't think the oil would ignite "Waterworld" style.

 

[Patroklos]

What about a light armored ship ful of oil?

US Navy ships (all modern major combatants actually) do not have armor, the hull thickness of a naval and civilian ship is comparable.

Oilers, I believe, are by treaty-law double hulled, designed to withstand icebergs and rocks. You'd probably need something heavier than an RPG to penetrate it. Even if it did penetrate I don't think the oil would ignite "Waterworld" style.

I've watched people put out cigarets in pools of JP5. Crude oil only ignites as readily as gasoline in the movies.

 

[Rashiminos]

The danger is that the pirates are armed with RPG's.

The wind has stopped... Time for 4 Light Warriors to go out and rectify the crimes of the wicked Empire and their dark forces.