Cruise Ship repels pirate attack

[zahc]

Of course it's possible. It's just not likely to pass the cost/benefit analysis.

[LadySmith]

Of course it's possible. It's just not likely to pass the cost/benefit analysis.

Is that a fancy way of saying, "Profits before people"?

Ah well. I guess I won't be going on a cruise in those waters any time ever. 

[Firethorn]

Is it possible to tell those countries, "If we can't arm ourselves to protect our people and goods, we simply won't do business with you"? 

That's what I proposed.

However, their reaction is likely 'fine, we'll get somebody else', and somebody else would do it, despite the risks.  It would take either a focused boycott, or piracy getting so bad for the freighters that significant additional expenses are incurred.  Governments tend to be indifferent to those expenses - it's not actually their cargo, after all, 'just' that of their citizens.

[Strings]

Ummmm... maybe this is a silly idea, but what about some form of "security service" that acts as a true "sea nation" (they don't put ashore, except at friendly ports)?

 Ship leaves the US with security detail aboard. if they need to make landfall at a port that doesn't allow weapons, they transfer the detail over to a "security ship" (maybe an LPD?) for the duration of that stop. Security details can even rotate from the troop carrier to the protectee...

Probably a silly idea...

[RocketMan]

APS Corp. = Armed Polite Shipping Corp.  We are the shipping corp. and provide our own shipboard security.
Clean up at both ends of the deal.   Fun, too.

[stevelyn]

An Italian cruise ship used guns and a firehose to beat off an attack by pirates off the east African coast, the vessel's captain said Sunday.

Well imagine that. Meeting force with force and winning. :rolleyes:

WTF took so long to figure it out? 

[Bogie]

Sounds like a lot of hassle.  In the end, good tactics with non-lethal tools might work just as well and not carry with it the issues of regular weapons.

Uh...
 
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,518142,00.html
 
If Unca Sugah says I am best served by something that is crew-served... and belt-fed... who am I to argue?
 
Hey, four belt fed machineguns could take care of situations for most oceangoing vehicles, considering the arms that the pirates are fielding... Radar, some optics, and put the videos on youtube...