Re: Operation SMN: Marque and Reprisal

David E. Powell wrote:
OK.. how to go after Pirates?

How about a Cutter sized vessel, with standoff corrugated metal to
detonate RPGs some distance from the hull, sandbags on the bridge and
maybe some armor plate?

Arm up with Machine guns and maybe 20mm-23mm-25mm cannon plus a light
QF gun, and maybe some LAW rockets. Some of those Russian twin 23mm AA
guns could be quite effective.

Good radar is essential, low light goggles, and maybe a rig on the
stern for launching and retrieving UAVs. Come in close to shore at
night and catch them going out and coming in.

Biggest asset is an armed helicopter or two. Something like a Lynx HMA.8 - Sea Spray radar and Sea Owl thermal imaging to locate and identify contacts at distance (a MX15 WESCAM would be even better if we can fund it) and Sea Skua missiles, M3M HMG and marksmen giving a range of engagement options.

Realistically, though, the problem is like finding needles in a haystack: you're looking for a fishing dhow towing a couple of skiffs, except that's common practice in the region and there are a *lot* of dhows, so for evidence of piracy you need to get aboard and find boarding ladders, weapons, or other giveaways... and there's only so many board-and-search operations you can do in a day.

Sometimes you'll catch the pirates in the act, close enough to react and intervene: sometimes they'll get trigger-happy and self-identify by shooting at your boarding party: most of the time the best you can do is presence and deterrence.

--
He thinks too much, such men are dangerous.
.

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