Blackwater Getting Into Anti-Piracy Biz

[jyl]

In one of the threads on Somali piracy, I said Blackwater should get into the anti-piracy business.

And indeed they are.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122826117332273945.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Blackwater already has a ship it says could be deployed abroad to scare off or even challenge pirates: the 183-foot McArthur, which the company bought in 2006. It can carry two helicopters as well as rigid-hull inflatable boats favored by naval commandoes, and 30 guards in addition to a crew of 15. Blackwater's database of contractors includes former Navy SEALs and Coast Guard personnel.

"Its primary goal would be one of deterrence, that's the idea here," said Blackwater spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell. The company would prefer to keep its guards aboard its own ship because of legal uncertainties. "We would be allowed to fire if fired upon; the right of self-defense is one that exists in international waters," she said.

Blackwater's push to land its first antipiracy contract is part of a strategy to build its business outside its State Department security work in Iraq, which brings in between $300 million and $400 million a year. There are growing concerns in the security industry that costs and legal risks in Iraq could skyrocket because, under a new agreement, foreign contractors there are set to lose their immunity from local law next year.

[campbellcj]

When I heard all the piracy news I immediately thought it would be a perfect gig for mercenary types. Figures they would already be on this. Way too much $$$$ on the line for the cruise and freight operators to not defend themselves.

[Bill Douglas]

The shipping companies should just place an ad in Soldier of Fortune magazine wanting shooters. Those guys would almost work for free as long as some action was guaranteed.

[tabs]

I have met one of the principles of Blackwater...at the January shot show.

[legion]

Sounds like a good fit to me.

[Jeff Higgins]

So let me get this straight - Blackwater, with its one ship, is going to prove a deterrent to piracy when the navies of the surrounding countries do not? Notwithstanding those navies from countries that are likely in on it, there must be a least a few working on deterrence.

Sounds to me like some one is looking at a relatively low-risk payout. So how would they operate? What tactics would they employ? I see a few choices.

1) Hang out in the area and await "mayday" calls. Hmm... don't several navies already provide this coverage, with at least a few boats? The logistics of this have not panned out. It's too big of an area, and it takes too long to steam to the vessel under attack. One more ship surely could not make a difference here.

2) Escort a specific ship, under contract to that shipping company. O.k., so the pirates look for an easier target. Not hard to do - only one is being escorted.

3) Patrol the area, aimlessly burning up fuel, hoping to be in the right place at the right time. Hoping to spot a pirate ship. Sounds like lots of lazy days in the sun to me.

Nope, sorry - no sale. I see opportunists profiting from a situation in which they cannot possibly have any impact.

[VincentVega]

They should buy a few old Russian subs.

Game on

[jyl]

Seems they'd have to put teams on the ships to be protected. I agree, unclear how much they can do while staying abord their own single ship.

[svandamme]

2 weeks after i post this :

Originally Posted by svandamme

Piracy has been around for ages, and the tactics to defend ones self from piracy are too :
Escort ships, travel in convoy, have trained professionals on the boat for dedicated defense.

snip

Insurance companies are lucky to still be in business after the last months, and at some point will either have to forfeit a bunch of moolah over some lost cargo's, the smart ones will start hiring mercs... and i'm sure a lot of veterans will rather take 3K a month shooting pirates then 5K a month risking IED's in I-wreck...

Blackwater does that

They owe me 5%

[Seahawk]

The United State Naval Institute magazine, Proceedings, has a number of excellent articles about piracy, something I was helping combat in my last years in the nav...

https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/story.asp?STORY_ID=1693

https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/story.asp?STORY_ID=1694

[svandamme]

dude, you having an off-year or sometin? this helping to combat ain't helping, they're all over the news these days !

[svandamme]

so true.



It will take a while to see the effects though, and proably more pirates then the pre-GBW levels will be required to facilitate the rebound

[Shadetree930]

I am all for this pirating thing. It will solve global warming and put Al Gore out to pasture. After all .... there is a direct coorelation between pirates and global warming ... nobody ever talked about it in the 17oos when pirates ruled the seas. As soon as the pirate population dropped .... BAM we got global warming.

[svandamme]

dude , how come your post is before mine, when mine's a reply to yours ?!?

[Shadetree930]

Welll ... I forgot to include the graph and deleted the original in order to post the pic but you beat me to it.

You know Fark?

[svandamme]

fark yeah

[varmint]

the word "outlaw" has ancient roots. it originally was meant as a sentence. someone was declared outside the law and all it's protection. meaning that a random person could walk up and kill them without the government/king caring.

these pirates meet the classic definition of outlaw.

[legion]

Originally Posted by varmint

the word "outlaw" has ancient roots. it originally was meant as a sentence. someone was declared outside the law and all it's protection. meaning that a random person could walk up and kill them without the government/king caring.

these pirates meet the classic definition of outlaw.

Interesting.

That is perhaps a sentence we should bring back.

[Jeff Higgins]

I wonder how many "outlaw" bikers would hang onto their "1 percenter" patches and tats in the face of that.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by svandamme

dude, you having an off-year or sometin? this helping to combat ain't helping, they're all over the news these days !

I retired in August as a Navy Captain, my last name is Morgan...had you heard of pirates before then? I think not.

Coincidence?