How to deal with pirates - the Russian Navy weighs in

[MicroBalrog]

http://twower.livejournal.com/885168.html#cutid1

Here you have some photos from an oil tanker seized by pirates and the amphibious landing ship "Admiral Shaposhnikov" liberating said tanker.

Amazingly, they not only did not kill the pirates, but even let them go. (Typically the Russian Navy just sinks the pirate boats... seems they got lucky).

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

http://twower.livejournal.com/885168.html#cutid1

Here you have some photos from an oil tanker seized by pirates and the amphibious landing ship "Admiral Shaposhnikov" liberating said tanker.

Amazingly, they not only did not kill the pirates, but even let them go. (Typically the Russian Navy just sinks the pirate boats... seems they got lucky).

or they sank em outa sight over the horizon

[AJ Dual]

I'm amazed any of those AK's functioned. (although one pic shows the piston/carrier assembly with the actual gas piston looking kind of clean, and with powder residue?)

Although I suppose if the MO is to try and sneak up to the ship, get the grappling hook on, and board before anyone notices, they get the upper hand and the crew complies.

The crew, at least from pictures seemed pretty small, so I'm thinking they didn't have watch 24/7 on all sides of the tanker?

[MicroBalrog]

The crews was also quite unarmed.

[AJ Dual]

The crews was also quite unarmed.

Indeed.

But I'm thinking things like maxing the throttle, turning the ship into their boat, running up to the edge and cutting the grappling hook, tossing some heavy tools overboard onto their heads or into their boat etc.

Although if the AK's functioned, that's easier said than done. Then about the only thing you could try was to cut the grappling hook's rope if you had a suitably long tool, and if it's a cable, that would be tough. And the tanker is BIG, and with an apparently smallish crew. If that's the case, and the Somali's got on board with no one seeing them at first, then I certainly wouldn't take the chance the rusty AK is a nonfunctional prop once I was staring down it's barrel.

Although it's pretty easy to see why if there's a decent watch rotation, why just 2 mercenaries/security staff with good clean rifles, and a pile of ammo. Maybe something belt-fed for fire suppression, could easily stop such an attack.

[MechAg94]

So they let the pirates go and sank their ships?  Does that mean they let them go in the water?  If so I like it.

[RevDisk]

So they let the pirates go and sank their ships?  Does that mean they let them go in the water?  If so I like it.

No. They released them, and their boat. Minus navigation aids. 300 miles from the coast.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8675978.stm
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703565804575238182744677948.html

Naturally, WSJ thought it is a bad idea, because the Somalis could retaliate against Russian sailors. I doubt the Somalis thought hijacking Russian ships was a good career option afterwards.

I am shaking my head at the condition of those weapons. I expect weapons in that condition only if they are dug up being buried for years. Otherwise, who lets their weapon get that rusty?

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

dump a lil pvc cement and or primer on boat as the push off.  no long trial no more pirates

[MicroBalrog]

No. They released them, and their boat. Minus navigation aids. 300 miles from the coast.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8675978.stm
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703565804575238182744677948.html

Naturally, WSJ thought it is a bad idea, because the Somalis could retaliate against Russian sailors. I doubt the Somalis thought hijacking Russian ships was a good career option afterwards.

I am shaking my head at the condition of those weapons. I expect weapons in that condition only if they are dug up being buried for years. Otherwise, who lets their weapon get that rusty?

Wait this is the same incident from 2010? The photos were released yesterday. Woah.

[Tallpine]

The crew, at least from pictures seemed pretty small...

Midgets ? 

[kgbsquirrel]

I am shaking my head at the condition of those weapons. I expect weapons in that condition only if they are dug up being buried for years. Otherwise, who lets their weapon get that rusty?

Salt water environment. Only reason the bolt carrier/piston were in anything approaching usable condition is due to hard chrome plating. It's not like your average Somali pirate is turning in his AK to a common armory where a gunners mate promptly rips it apart, flushes the salt-water off it, and re-oils everything.

Something I noticed on the tanker. They C-wired their railings. Interesting. I actually had never thought to do that, my mind always gravitated to putting a few .50 cals on the bridge wings with 24/7 lookouts doing their jobs.

As to "releasing" the pirates 300 miles from shore with no navigation aids: *expletive deleted* EM! As a former sailor I say unequivocally that I do not give a rats ass, and I would sooner hang those pirate *expletive deleted* from the ship's yard arms as a warning to the rest.   (Also, any real sailor worth his salt can navigate by the stars alone, so again, *expletive deleted* em!)

[MicroBalrog]

I'm quite sure you could make it to the shore if you had a working engine or even some oars. I mean it's not like they'd miss the African continent.

[Tallpine]

I'm quite sure you could make it to the shore if you had a working engine or even some oars. I mean it's not like they'd miss the African continent.

Sun sets in the west 

Besides you could probably follow the jet contrails.

[dogmush]

Unless they go east. Or south.

And many RIBs* don't carry 300 miles worth of fuel.


The "beacon" sounds kinda like a 406Mhz EPIRB. Which begs the question, who would answer one of those off of Somalia?

*would depend on size and engine but I'd expect a pirate RIB to be less then 10m and single or dual outboard.

[MicroBalrog]

Unless they go east. Or south.

And many RIBs* don't carry 300 miles worth of fuel.


The "beacon" sounds kinda like a 406Mhz EPIRB. Which begs the question, who would answer one of those off of Somalia?

*would depend on size and engine but I'd expect a pirate RIB to be less then 10m and single or dual outboard.

1. These people had certainly gotten there in that boat.
2. People had crossed the Atlantic in a Zodiac boat with no motor.

[dogmush]

1. These people had certainly gotten there in that boat.
2. People had crossed the Atlantic in a Zodiac boat with no motor.

1. Unless a mothership had dropped them off, or they boarded the tankers and took it farther offshore, or the russians had taken the boats farther offshore while they decided what to do with them.

2. Many more people have failed to cross the Atlantic in much larger vessels with engines.