Arm them. However I'm not talking about cargo ships. I'm talking about everyday jabronies that decide it would be a good idea to hop on the sail boat and go see if they can find bluebeard. Don't stick your finger in a snakes mouth and get mad when it bites you.
Most of the hostages were not out pleasure cruising through pirate infested waters. The vast majority, read nearly all, were sailors in merchant fleets.
The hostages are all from commercial vessels plying the Suez canal route. Yachts should travel smarter, but there are in fact pirates everywhere. Mexico is bad and there are pirates in the Caribbean (there always have been). Piracy off the Pacific coast of Mexico is bad too.
Then it is settled. Bombs. Lots and lots and lots more of big bad ass bunker busting bombs. The slimy varmits will take notice ye hear?
We should escort our ships and let others deal with their own. We do not have the money to save everyone else's ass. If they need a bodyguard then cash up front payed first. Missles cost big money. Use the 20 mm cannon from planes or a nice 5" gun shot if they sit still for it from a destroyer. They aren't worth the thousands it cost for a missle shot.
Arm commercial shipping with auto grenade launchers and no pirates will ever get on board. These grenade launchers are mounted on hum v's. It can be mounted on ships.
Ahh the MK-19 40mm grenade launcher. Betcha didn't know it was designed as a naval weapon so uh yes indeed it will mount to a ship because that is what they made it for. They altered it to fit on HMMWV's (hummers or "hum v's) as you like to call them. It is also why the weapon was such a pain in the ass in the desert. They don't like sand at all. They will f some stuff up though. Good call, we can shoot em with that after we drop all the bombs. 5" guns are for pussies by the way, bring on the big boys, the 16" ers.
Some of the companies providing security on commercial vessels have started operating patrol gunboats as escorts, essentially private navies. Which raises the age-old maritime question . . . what's the difference between a private navy and a pirate navy in international waters? Damn little. A feller like you could be a success out there, Captain Blood.
