Pirates seize U.S. freighter, hold captain for ransom

[Seamus Fermanagh]

I was wondering, how accurate would snipers be if stationed on those destroyers? I mean 4 pirates in a boat and maybe 4 snipers on the ship would take care of the situation? Or is the wind too unpredictable for this?

That's 4 near-simultaneous shots, all of which must incapacitate their targets, from a moving object to another moving object at a considerable distance. I'm guessing the difficulty factor is pretty well up there. Moreover, the heavy sniper rifles that would provide the best stability of shot at the ranges in question are heavy enough to go through a target to hit the person -- maybe a merchie captain -- behind it.

Not undoable, but I think we're talking a very tough call and fairly steep difficulty factor.

[KukriKhan]

That's 4 near-simultaneous shots, all of which must incapacitate their targets, from a moving object to another moving object at a considerable distance. I'm guessing the difficulty factor is pretty well up there. Moreover, the heavy sniper rifles that would provide the best stability of shot at the ranges in question are heavy enough to go through a target to hit the person -- maybe a merchie captain -- behind it.

Not undoable, but I think we're talking a very tough call and fairly steep difficulty factor.

S.E.A.L.S. I've known (sounds like a memoir, don' it?:)) used to train rigorously for such up-close-and-personal contingencies on the water. I wonder what they're doing now?

A personal anecdote: at work today, the workroom floor (populated by about 20 formerly-active Marines, amongst we few Army, Navy & AF 'formers') were livid at the seeming inaction, LOUDLY. For once, management did not impose a gag order. Smart move, I thought, as I sorted mail to 3101 Clarence Street.

[Shaka_Khan]

That's 4 near-simultaneous shots, all of which must incapacitate their targets, from a moving object to another moving object at a considerable distance. I'm guessing the difficulty factor is pretty well up there. Moreover, the heavy sniper rifles that would provide the best stability of shot at the ranges in question are heavy enough to go through a target to hit the person -- maybe a merchie captain -- behind it.

Not undoable, but I think we're talking a very tough call and fairly steep difficulty factor.

Plus, there are big waves. And the pirates are riding a small ship, which makes it a difficult target from far away. Meanwhile, pirates could fire RPGs at large tankers.

[Husar]

I think he meant snipe them on the merchant ship but I think it would never work, too much movement and those ships are usually not glass pavillions with windows everywhere.

And even then I thought in hostage situations you usually negotiate first before you open fire, I don't know why a bunch of bank robbers get a negotiation but somehow when it all happens on a ship everybody goes around screaming kill, kill, we want blood! Or is it just because those guys are somalian sub-humans who don't deserve a negotiation or arrest?

I agree with Hosakawa Tito here, try to arrest them, but only kill when necessary.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Plus, there are big waves. And the pirates are riding a small ship, which makes it a difficult target from far away. Meanwhile, pirates could fire RPGs at large tankers.

You may be right about the waves, I haven't been assiduously tracking local sea conditions and such.

As to the RPG's, that's a non-starter. The USN will have warned all ships to steer clear of the situation AND an RPG wouldn't do a lot beyond scratching the paint on a VLCC. The RPG's are a threat to the crew of the vessel at close range, not to the vessel itself. The chances of a "golden bee-bee" shot from and RPG crippling a VLCC are almost incalcuable.

[Hosakawa Tito]

Here's another interesting development.

Now they can bag the lot. There is technology out there *since the early 90's* that can disable a vehicle's engine using high voltage radio frequency, seems like a perfect use for it. Disable the ships, using the SEAL teams, and wait them out. Offer the pirates a turkey bologna sammich and a bottle of Dasani for each hostage released. When they get hungry & thirsty enough they will comply. Allowing them to leave the area is not an option. Stop the lucrative ransom merry-go-round and this type of criminal activity will wither on the vine.

Underscoring the high stakes involved, France’s navy freed a sailboat seized off Somalia last week by other pirates, but one of the hostages was killed, along with two of the bandits. Three pirates were captured. In Paris, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Jean-Louis Georgelin dismissed the notion of coordination between the French and Americans on the two incidents.

Hopefully, this is untrue or soon to be remedied. All the major nation's navies patrolling this area must coordinate their efforts to be truly effective.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Underscoring the high stakes involved, France’s navy freed a sailboat seized off Somalia last week by other pirates, but one of the hostages was killed, along with two of the bandits. Three pirates were captured. In Paris, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Jean-Louis Georgelin dismissed the notion of coordination between the French and Americans on the two incidents.

Hopefully, this is untrue or soon to be remedied. All the major nation's navies patrolling this area must coordinate their efforts to be truly effective.

It is my understanding that there is plenty of international coordination between at least the EU and US navies. And probably with others as well.

I think Jean-Louis Georgelin is referring to the fact that the three French military actions over the past few months themselves have been French solo efforts, without foreign cooperation.

Do we have to relearn the lessons every time there's a naval war? Last time the enemy was underwater and the area was the North Atlantic! SORT THIS OUT

In a rare show of sanity, the EU placed its mission in the Somali waters under command of the British navy, headed by Phillips. It always pleases me when European nationalist sentiment is cast aside for sanity and reason. Let everybody do what they're good at.

We were kinda hoping you lot would know just what to do though...


To link this to another thread, Norway joined the EU for this mission. Excellent. More bizarrely, the Swiss navy joined as well...

[seireikhaan]

To link this to another thread, Norway joined the EU for this mission. Excellent. More bizarrely, the Swiss navy joined as well...

This I want to see.

[KarlXII]

Captain saved, 3 out of 4 pirates killed.

[rory_20_uk]

So room for improvement there then.

[Marshal Murat]

So this argument boils down to either:
"We prevent piracy by inserting troops into Somalia to prevent them from launching ships to grab international ships" versus "We prevent piracy by reforming Somalia".

Either way we call in the Marines.