Screwball Rules of Engagement

[August]

Originally Posted by Growler

Yeah, but then Greenpeace, the EPA, whomever get all bunged up griping you out for it.

I tell you, ya can't win.

Though, I gotta say it: The Coast Guard's sharpshooters, using a .50, from a helo in flight, are pretty good at disabling go-fasts' engines for their seaborne brethren and sisters to round up... gotta love that.

It is your responsibility to trust and know who you loan your vehicle to. It is the ship owners responsibility to know who and what is going on with their vessel.

So if someone steals your car and kills someone by driving it dangerously you are responsible for the killing?
You think these "motherships" are out on loan to the pirates

Why shouldn't it be possible to 'disable' the mother ship if they refuse to be boarded?

That still leaves you with a hostage situation

[Gargamel]

Originally Posted by Tribesman

That still leaves you with a hostage situation

On a disabled ship, that you are now forced to board in order to rescue both the pirates and the hostages.

Sure they can disable it, but then what?

If the navy's aren't goignt o do anything about it, I fully expect the companies that own these ships to start arming them (more than they already are). If they can't trust they're (or the worlds) governments to protect the shipping lanes that are vital to the world economy, and their profit margins, then they'll have to take matters into their own hands.

[breadcatcher101]

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

Stephen Decatur is rolling in his grave.

[August]

Originally Posted by USNSPARKS

Stephen Decatur is rolling in his grave.

True.

Welcome to the forum.

[Growler]

Originally Posted by USNSPARKS

Stephen Decatur is rolling in his grave.

Good first post... let me echo August's welcome.

[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.