Screwball Rules of Engagement

[TLAM Strike]

Most of these mother ships are captured merchant or fishing vessels. Now if the crew cannot escape on the lifeboats or lock them selves in the citadel (sort of a panic room with a radio, normally the ship's engine room) its highly likely that they will be captured and held by the pirates. Any attempt at seizing the mother ship puts them in grave danger and should only be attempted with the best possible planning in place.

IMHO detection, avoidance and deterrence of pirate action groups is the best bet right now. Starting a war with them would be very nasty.

[breadcatcher101]

Have them all board the skiffs as lifeboats and sink the big one.

[Growler]

Originally Posted by August

THIS. ^

Very good reminder, August, thank you - I hadn't meant to slight the SEAL guys who pulled MV MAERSK Alabama and her crew outta the piratical fire. there's no doubt those guys made beyond the best of a bad go; shooting a guy standing in a boat, from another ship, with a large bore rifle, with a third guy's life on the line, is what you call the SEALS for, and they showed that beyond question.

Rather, I was attempting to point out that there are ways of disabling smaller craft fairly simply, "simply" in this case meaning uncomplicated in theory - shooting a moving boat on the seas with a large-bore rifle from a helicopter moving in the air is, I imagine, not easy.

Anyone behind the sights/scope of a sniper rifle is already engaged in some complicated geometry. Add in pitching watercraft & aircraft on both ends of the equation, over a surface that is notorious for goofing with humidity levels and thermals, and the average person's head explodes in a fine mist of pluses, minuses, multiplicands, divisors, roots, cosines, tangents, chords, and numbers.

[August]

Originally Posted by Growler

TI hadn't meant to slight

Actually I was agreeing with you although inaccurately. I'm a Paratrooper, the distinctions between puddle jumpers and squids is lost on me!

[nikimcbee]

If they could confirm the mothership, they could send a sub in to take it out. Blast it in the middle of the night. Who would miss it?

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

If they could confirm the mothership, they could send a sub in to take it out. Blast it in the middle of the night. Who would miss it?

The families and loved ones of the hostages aboard I should imagine.

[August]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

The families and loved ones of the hostages aboard I should imagine.

So just the mere chance of the presence of hostages aboard makes the mother ship immune to attack? Tough to get anything accomplished under those rules.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by August

So just the mere chance of the presence of hostages aboard makes the mother ship immune to attack? Tough to get anything accomplished under those rules.

Nope, not what I said or implied.....see #13....take the method of propulsion away and stop her in the water, that would be step one, then if the scum didn't recognise the plight they were in and resisted boarding or threatened/started killing hostages.....in you go.

I can't imagine a majority of pirate gangs not surrendering in this instance.

The alternative method of sinking the mothership at step one would always stack the odds against any potential hostages being saved on every occasion.

[August]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Nope, not what I said or implied.....see #13....take the method of propulsion away and stop her in the water

I suppose that would work although I don't know how you'd take out a prop on a ship that is underway.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by August

I suppose that would work although I don't know how you'd take out a prop on a ship that is underway.

Not that I'm for such actions but rounds can go though water, aim for the stern below the waterline. Or there are guns that fire nets to entangle a ship's propeller.

I still believe that surveillance of pirate activity, along with defense and deterrence of vessels likely to be targeted is the right approach.

If the pirates know that captured ships will be trailed and be unable to attack target ships covertly the incentive to hold ships and crews for long periods of time partially diminishes, then would then just be holding ships and crews for ransom instead of holding them for ransom and using the ships as a base of operations- which puts the hostages in danger.

[Jimbuna]

No matter what ethic/method one subscribes to the common denominator is that some sort of physical action should be adopted....otherwise sit back and watch the situation deteriorate and develop in a negative way for the worlds maritime trade.

[Growler]

Originally Posted by August

I suppose that would work although I don't know how you'd take out a prop on a ship that is underway.

Oh, I dunno - a few from a 3"/50 right below the waterline oughta do the trick.

And remember - most of the propulsion kills will work once, until the bad guys cop wise and start leaving hostages to drown in the machinery spaces after you pop the shaft seals with that prop kill. At least at that point, we'll have them reacting to what we're doing, but they still have the advantage as long as we're concerned about hostages.

They act, we react. We have to find a way to take the initiative away from these guys. As long as the world's nations are on the defensive, the bad guys are winning.

[Platapus]

One thing to consider is that these pirates don't go out and buy these "mother ships" they steal them. Which means they are still the property of the legitimate owners.

If we sail in, guns a blazin, cowboy style, and sink the ship, the owners of the ship probably would have a case to sue us for the destruction of their property to the tune of a few cubic mega bucks.

"but we waz fightn crime" may not be an acceptable defense.

Just one more complication in a complicated issue.

[Onkel Neal]

Sink 'em all, cowboy style

Bill, when you're made President, remember me for your Secretary of Defence.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Neal Stevens

Bill, when you're made President, remember me for your Secretary of Defence.

and me for DNI.