...I've never understood why shipping companies don't just invest in small shipboard weaponry capable of scuttling a motorboat. I would love to see a supertanker with remote-controlled ballista on the deck. Hell, I could build such a system in an afternoon for far less money than that high-powered, annoying laser costs.
British Engineers Design Anti-Pirate Laser
- Thread starter Scott Bullock
- Start date
So.. rather then use the smart solution- use relatively cheap old merchant gunboats from WW2 that could be refurbished and give a pirate who points so much as a crowbar with so much explosive shell that they would be shitting shrapnel for weeks if they weren't obliterated, they instead decide to stick a big laser pointer on the end.
Really britain? This isn't that cool. If I wanted to build a Giant laser pointer I could.
Hell, the laser pointer itself is probably worth plenty of money. I can already see the headline "Giant laser pointer stolen by pirates- actual worth estimated to be higher then that of goods and lives on ship."
I mean seriously? Why not put a fucking sign that says "Rob me I'm incredibly wealthy" over the ships while your at it, and carpet bomb the area with dollar bills. I will go with my relatively inexpensive utilize old ships designed to kill things and transport things.
Also, if your a damn fisherman, and start paddling up towards the deck of a huge ship while inside pirate infested waters, you deserve to be blown to hell. Your stupid might be contagious.
Really britain? This isn't that cool. If I wanted to build a Giant laser pointer I could.
Hell, the laser pointer itself is probably worth plenty of money. I can already see the headline "Giant laser pointer stolen by pirates- actual worth estimated to be higher then that of goods and lives on ship."
I mean seriously? Why not put a fucking sign that says "Rob me I'm incredibly wealthy" over the ships while your at it, and carpet bomb the area with dollar bills. I will go with my relatively inexpensive utilize old ships designed to kill things and transport things.
Also, if your a damn fisherman, and start paddling up towards the deck of a huge ship while inside pirate infested waters, you deserve to be blown to hell. Your stupid might be contagious.
I just wish other countries and private industries would ball up and finally let armed guards and other means of self-defense aboard vessels. What better way to deter them then to fight them with superior weapons? Somalian pirates have no real way of getting much more than the kinds of weapons they already have. And the way I see it: A 25mm cannon is far greater than a Laser that annoys them. They'll come back. With greater numbers. Though a laser effective range of 1km is nothing to scoff at.
The problem is that by the time they're close enough to see the guns and RPGs they have pointed at you - they have guns and RPGs pointed at you. And RPGs are anti-TANK weapons. One hit and all of your passengers and crew are heading for the lifeboats, which is not an improvement over the "hostage on your own ship with all the passengers locked in the cabins" situation.Monshroud said:
Non-lethal? I don't get equiping ships with non-lethal weapons when your enemies have rocket launchers.
Pirate 1: Hey! I can't see anything!
Pirate 2: Well, just shoot the rocket at the center of the light.
Pirate 1: Oh... I knew that.
Pirate 3: ARRRRG!
Pirate 1: Hey! I can't see anything!
Pirate 2: Well, just shoot the rocket at the center of the light.
Pirate 1: Oh... I knew that.
Pirate 3: ARRRRG!
Isn't this like the equivalent of shining a laser pen in someone's eye until you annoy them enough to leave?
Personally, I'd just have a few armed navy men on the boats just in case the shit gets real. That being said, Somalian pirates aren't the brainiest of the bunch, they've managed to perform acts as stupid as firing on naval ships full of well armed and well trained Marines thinking that it was a civilian ship.
So I don't think you'r going to be able to do much to deter them other than firing back.
Personally, I'd just have a few armed navy men on the boats just in case the shit gets real. That being said, Somalian pirates aren't the brainiest of the bunch, they've managed to perform acts as stupid as firing on naval ships full of well armed and well trained Marines thinking that it was a civilian ship.
So I don't think you'r going to be able to do much to deter them other than firing back.
Well you forget, if the Pirate use their weapons and start killing people, then the Militaries of the world get involved again, and the last time that happened it didn't turn out well for the pirates. Pirates are using the threat of violence rather than violence because there are people with much bigger guns out there, who don't bother asking for ransom, they just kill you.w00tage said:
Besides if one side uses the RPG and the other uses the laser, at least you can all go down together. Also depending on the type of ship being attacked, most of them can stay afloat and keep moving with a big hole in them, while the skiffs tend to become aquarium decoration.
If you get a red one of these Superman would be powerless.
This just seem corny, they really think an annoying laser is going to ward off pirates? I think they'll ignore it.
This just seem corny, they really think an annoying laser is going to ward off pirates? I think they'll ignore it.
LASERS
Yes, I know there was important stuff going on in this article but LASERS
I sincerely hope the Brits' next step is to fight the war on crime with lightsabers.
Yes, I know there was important stuff going on in this article but LASERS
I sincerely hope the Brits' next step is to fight the war on crime with lightsabers.