A 2nd mate of mine recently brought out a green laser for pointing out stars for celestial navigation. The thing was super high powered and cost only $50. He then showed me the website Wicked Lasers which makes units 10 times as powerful.
Has anyone considered using these to blind pirates?
An un-augmented laser can very easily blind and disorient the pilot of a plane or chopper, and would obviously have the same effect on someone piloting a small craft or attempting to aim an RPG or rifle, and so I imagine it would be effective as one tool to help disrupt an attack. If you can see them early enough to be pointing a laser at them, then if possible why not point something that will permanently solve the problem?
“why not point something that will permanently solve the problem?” Because most shipping companies don’t allow weapons to be brought aboard ship.
It’s all fun and games until you are facing down an AK-47 or RPG with :
Insert One :
Fire Hose
Water Cannon
LRAD
Laser
Searchlight
Flame Thrower
As for shipping companies not allowing weapons onboard, I think you will see that the tide is turning.
The average piracy incident - from the time they are spotted, until the time they go away (or are successful) - is 11 to 12 minutes. The escalation of force - and legally, you better have had a staged escalation of force before you wind up at deadly force - has to be rapid. The LRAD fits the bill in that regard and by the way, also gets recorded by the S-VDR bridgewing mikes, so that you have independent verification that you used it. EVERY time - not most - not usually - EVERY time somebody returns fire to these Somali pirates, they go away. That statistic is pretty straightforward. 100% is 100%.
It is interesting that Nick Blackmore, editor of Safety at Sea, says on page 2 of the November issue, that “BAE Systems has developed a counter-piracy suite that apparently boasts . . . a laser for dazzling attackers.”
(http://www.baesystems.com/Newsroom/NewsReleases/autoGen_10988101447.html) - you could save several million dollars by following cmjeff’s plan.
[QUOTE=cmjeff;22527]A 2nd mate of mine recently brought out a green laser for pointing out stars for celestial navigation. The thing was super high powered and cost only $50. He then showed me the website Wicked Lasers which makes units 10 times as powerful.
Has anyone considered using these to blind pirates?
[/QUOTE]
Check our site www.balinorintl.com for the Laser that does blind pirates. for any assistance don’t hesitate to email @ sk1@balinorintl.com
yeah lasers!!! for dazzling pirates?? what? givem a laser show and some nine inch nails and hope they’re tripping to hard to kill you? i’ll bet if you can hit em with that laser right in the eye they allready put a bullet in you for it. where as a 50 cal; you don’t even need to hit the bastards sink one in the hull and they take off. i can do it from a mile in two shots. i do want to know more about the rules of engagement and maritime law for mmerchant mariners arming themselves. can i get a security rating or endorsement. is the problem non miltary personel firing upon civilians of another country .wheres the head hunter’s forum at.
This should work if you add the laser
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A 2/M I know blinded his friend with a green laser pointer he bought in SE Asia… Luckily his friend’s eyesight eventually recovered but they were both confident that using them against pirates would work.
[B][U]IMHO[/U][/B]…“6-12 green lasers clustered and fired in a random array might be a viable deterrant”…that has been discussed and recommended…with all the “experts” out there imagine someone discounted it!!
I recommended developing and marketing a “rentable portable bolt on” CIWS a few months back… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY6nm-6eCzM …GAME OVER!!
The USN Secdets that are being put on MSC and MSC contract ships have started using green lasers in their escalation of force. Talking with the MASC that was the mission leader on our ship he said that the LRAD’s weren’t effective if it was windy (most of the time in the NAS). Periodically we’d get a wayward dhow that would close us and one shot with the laser would always turn them around. The lasers they had could also be mounted under their M-4’s, although they were pretty heavy. He spent a lot of time on a Maersk container ship that ran from D-Gar to Djibouti and said that when they’d get attacked they preferred the laser for non-lethal escalation for a couple reasons. 1. It’s quick and easy to use 2. It’s portable, you can carry them around with you in your pocket and there’s no set up time like the LRAD and 3. There’s no doubt whether or not they saw it. If the skiffs get hit with it and keep coming then there’s no question as to their intent.