modern day Q-Ships?

[GoldenRivet]

Got to looking into this Q-Ship mod, and i got to thinking about a news story on my home page news about pirates in the waters off Somalia.

Would a Q-Ship not serve as a proper means of addressing the pirate threat?

For example, A pleasure yacht much like this one http://www.find-yachts.com/super_yacht_fos6.jpg could be manned with British or American Sailors. Each Port hole on the port and starboard side could be made to fold down revealing a pop up mini-gun like this ...

for heavier needs, perhaps a small elevator could lift up a tow missile battery from the top of the wheel house area or forward deck.

it wouldnt take a great number of encounters with such a small speedy craft armed to the teeth to discourage piracy altogether.

what do you guys think?

[Platapus]

There might be a legality issue?

[superfecta]

Why not a U-Boat?

[BasilY]

Originally Posted by Platapus

There might be a legality issue?

As long as the bad guys fire first, I don't see a problem here. The real problem is how to deal with the prisoners. Since we can't issue any order that as much hint at not taking anyone alive, the navy must find a place to house, accomendate, and try any person captured in these operations.

If we throw a somalian pirate in prison in the UK or US, that might just encourage more to fly the jolly roger. Why not? Free food, Air Condition and indoor plumbing are still luxury items in many parts of the world.

GoldenRivet got the right idea though, maybe we should lend the men and equipment to Eqypt or Yeman and encourage them to do it. Surely no one want to spend anytime in their custody...

[GoldenRivet]

Originally Posted by BasilY

The real problem is how to deal with the prisoners.

what prisoners?

who says you have to fish them out of the water?

im sure there are plenty of sharks off the somali coast

[ivank]

I agree, there should be such ships! maybe not yachts, but merchant ships could fair well. one just has to worry that the pirate is more heavily armed!!

[Erich dem Roten]

Certainly an interesting idea...I wonder if it's been tried before:hmm: I'm sure international law plays a large role in combating piracy.

I'd love to see the faces of the 3 or 4 guys with their ancient Ak-47's when they're suddenly faced with a popup 120mm cannon and a squad of marines :rotfl:

[baggygreen]

I posted similar in the GT forum yesterday, saying bugger it lets just blow the *****s outta the water.

why do we have to be PC about it? they're terrorizing hostages, costing millions or even billions of dollars in forcing ships to reroute and in ransoms...

blow em out of the water, and then fail to see any survivors. who in their right mind is going to complain if a bunch of opportunistic, vicious scumbags like these pirates are killed?

[richardphat]

Why not cannon with gunpowder and firing iron ball!???:rotfl: :rotfl:
OK i shush

[Tango589]

Originally Posted by richardphat

Why not cannon with gunpowder and firing iron ball!???:rotfl: :rotfl:
OK i shush

This is why:



Look what it's done to this poor chap!

[Jimbuna]

They obviously didn't have a TOW weapons unit....more probably equipped with a Stinger missile system :p

[Paul.Saenger]

Pirates one time thought a Russian BDK to be a freighter and attacked it despite the Russian commander literally shouting "You do not want to do this" at them and even showing the guns. Needless to say, the pirates were blown to pieces.

[Darksun]

Originally Posted by Paul.Saenger

Pirates one time thought a Russian BDK to be a freighter and attacked it despite the Russian commander literally shouting "You do not want to do this" at them and even showing the guns. Needless to say, the pirates were blown to pieces.

Don't have a link to a news story about that, do you? That would be cool to pass around to some folks I know.

Reminds me of this story.

Originally Posted by US Navy

http://www.navy.mil/navydata/navy_legacy.asp?id=174

US Ship: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the south to avoid a collision.

CND reply: Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision.

US Ship: This is the Captain of a US Navy Ship. I say again, divert your course.

CND reply: No. I say again, you divert YOUR course!

US Ship: THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS CORAL SEA, WE ARE A LARGE WARSHIP OF THE US NAVY. DIVERT YOUR COURSE NOW!!

CND reply: This is a lighthouse. Your call.

[SandyCaesar]

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Then again, if the Russians somehow decided that they want to do something like that, I could imagine a Spetsnaz unit pulling that off. AFAIK, international law doesn't prohibit sailing under false colors before an attack as long as you pull out real colors when you attack.

We really need Q-ships like that off Malacca and Somalia. As for prisoners...screw it, plenty of sharks in those waters.

EDIT: This Friday is International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Hmm...
"Stop your engines and let us board--oh, $#!%--"
BOOM!

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Paul.Saenger

Pirates one time thought a Russian BDK to be a freighter and attacked it despite the Russian commander literally shouting "You do not want to do this" at them and even showing the guns. Needless to say, the pirates were blown to pieces.

Obviously blind or very stupid pirates