On top of that, the last thing you want on an oil tanker is a gunfight between the guys protecting your ship and the pirates armed with RPGs and incendiary ammo.
But if they would hire an armed ship as an escort, the shipping company wouldn't be responsible for what the crew of the hired escort ship does to the pirates once it catches them.
Yep, we'll take the pirates and surrender them to the authorities. Oops, sorry! Man over board. Ahhh bummer...too late.
So what is my solution? Get one of these old Soviet Navy vessels in conservation for cheap, fix it, arm it and make a profit with it:
Military ship Ad # : 381
Ad Details
Seller: salichev
Ad started: Sep 28
Location: Russia
Price: $ 250 000 USD
Ship former military Built 1983 Length 48.6 m Breadth 9 m Depth 4.18 m Max draft 2.22 m Number of decks 1 Number of engines 2 (in 5000 hp each) Number of oil-electrical engines 2 Fuel consumption (max speed) 164 grammes/hp/hour Dimensions of hold 8x6x2 m and additional 5x5x4 m Hull's steel plate's gage - 5-8 mm Crew 6 Passenger capacity 14 Portability 8 days Max speed 29 knots Economical speed 15.5 knots Endurance 1250 miles DWCC 150 mt Price 250 000 USD Ship hull need dry dock and reequipment. There are two variants of reequipping; to the cargo vessel and to the yacht. The engines are in perfect condition. The ships hull and the superstructure are in good condition.
Costs:
-Repairs and reequipping in an Eastern European shipyard (they work for less money and I even know the owner of one): between $750K to $1 million.
-Two salvaged Vietnam war era Oerlikon 20mm AA canons: $10K.
-Small arms for a crew of 7: $100K
Charge $50K-$75K per merchant ship escorted, you get your investment back in no time.
Maybe I can get a grant from the multi-billion dollar bank, insurance and automobile industry bailouts. I can pay them back in 1 year.
Another simple solution.
ReplyDeletePut an AWACS in the area. Setup a patrol of F-16. Ship reports suspicious boat nearby, F-16 go buzz em, simply go to the area and wait. Ship reports it is under attack....... (you know what will happen).
I like the way you think! I totally volunteer to run the crew for you! Not only would we be doing the world a service we would be sending a message to the low lifes out there that there are those who will defend the rights of others. at the expense of the bad guys life if neccesary!
ReplyDeleteCourse, my wife will not want me to go......And by the way......I think you could equip the ship with a crew of about 50 to 100 easily who are great americans just itching to show what we are made of!
It is just like the Barbary pirates during Jefferson's administration but I doubt Obama would lift a finger to use our military in an approprite show of force. Because what needs to be done to completely get rid of this problem is to take out their port of safe haven, follow them on land where needed and completely eliminate them from the game!
Obama would, if he ever caught one, probably bring him back to america and give him a lawyer and allow him access to OUR legal system.
Palladin:
ReplyDeleteAnd who's paying for the AWACS, F-16 and all that stuff that protects merchant ships that aren't even ours?
You, me and the rest of American taxpayers.