# The Return of Armed Merchant Shipping **URL:** \ **Category:** Maritime Security\ **Tags:** maritime-security, armed-merchant-ships\ **Created:** [August 20, 2026, 4:23am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/the-return-of-armed-merchant-shipping/76961 "2026-08-20T04:23:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Raghu\_Sharma](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/raghu_sharma/32/71148_2.png) [@Raghu\_Sharma](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Raghu_Sharma)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2026, 4:23am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/the-return-of-armed-merchant-shipping/76961/1 "2026-08-20T04:23:54Z")
> **[The Return of Armed Merchant Shipping - The DeepDraft](https://thedeepdraft.com/2026/08/17/the-return-of-armed-merchant-shipping/)** > > A merchant ship can identify a drone. It can report it, sound the alarm, call the Master, muster the crew, start the fire pump and prepare for impact. What it I wrote this after seeing the machine-gun positions aboard the Russian LNG carrier _Marshal Vasilevskiy_. The guns will not provide air defence, but they do change how a civilian ship may be approached, inspected or boarded. Meanwhile, merchant crews are facing drones, USVs and missiles with guidance still centred on detecting, reporting and preparing. Where should shipboard responsibility end and state protection begin? ---
**Author:** ![Handspake](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/handspake/32/71168_2.png) [@Handspake](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Handspake)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2026, 6:08am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/the-return-of-armed-merchant-shipping/76961/2 "2026-08-20T06:08:07Z")
How much protection a state of Madagascar can offer? “”" The cases are different. The U.S. case is protected passage. India’s is energy security. Russia’s is tied to [sanctions, shadow-fleet exposure](https://thedeepdraft.com/2026/06/22/the-shadow-fleets-human-firewall/)and political signalling. “”“”“” The quoted above text is susceptible to different interpretations. In this case the Author clearly indicates and defines a ROGUE state . ---
**Author:** ![Hogsnort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@Hogsnort](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Hogsnort)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2026, 7:14pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/the-return-of-armed-merchant-shipping/76961/3 "2026-08-20T19:14:30Z")
The issue is protection is no long provided by the flag state for the vast majority of the world’s shipping. The Liberian Navy? If your not paying taxes don’t expect a warship. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9de053/32.png) [@Bruce1](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Bruce1)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2026, 9:47am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/the-return-of-armed-merchant-shipping/76961/4 "2026-08-21T09:47:36Z")
I believe that the Ukrainians have a sort of double machine gun set up that tracks drones on radar and when close enough opens fire on them. sound like the way to arm a merchant vessel without much modification the ship ---
**Author:** ![SteamerCook](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/steamercook/32/52170_2.png) [@SteamerCook](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/SteamerCook)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2026, 2:07pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/the-return-of-armed-merchant-shipping/76961/5 "2026-08-21T14:07:15Z")
The topic of what to do if attacked by pirates was the topic of a recent onboard safety meeting. We all had a good laugh, being on the Great Lakes. ---
**Author:** ![Wasforkandblade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9fc348/32.png) [@Wasforkandblade](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Wasforkandblade)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2026, 2:36pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/the-return-of-armed-merchant-shipping/76961/6 "2026-08-21T14:36:13Z")
I don’t know…those Canadians are rather sneaky! lol