Category: Piracy
Quick Guide to Counter Piracy Boardings
Somali pirates have developed a predictable and successful modus operandi that will no doubt be replicated in waters outside the Indian Ocean. The pirates hijack deep draft commercial ships using gangs of three or more who approach in small open boats powered by outboard engines that are referred to as attack or pirate skiffs. These [...]
A Look at Kidnapping through the Lens of Protective Intelligence
By Scott Stewart At the moment a kidnapping occurs, the abduction team usually has achieved tactical surprise and usually employs overwhelming force. To the previously unsuspecting victim, the abductors seemingly appear out of nowhere. But when examined carefully, kidnappings are, for the most part, the result of a long and carefully orchestrated process. They do [...]
FBI’s Pirate Task Force
Here at MS4 we’re more the run & gun type, but sometimes it’s nice to get the back story on why you went on a boat guns drawn in the first place. It’s also nice to see solid resolution of criminal cases you helped start. Enter the FBI’s Manhattan Field Office where, according to the [...]
A Bold & Daring Act
Anyone in naval service unfamiliar with Stephen Decatur needs to hit the books, but don’t worry because we’ve found an easy to read and heavily illustrated one for you from the Raid Series titled Decatur’s Bold & Daring Act. One of the original heroes of the US Navy, Decatur fought pirates off the Barbary Coast, [...]
Maritime Operations Still Need Improvement
From Jim Kouri with Examiner.com: Recent events, such as the seaborne terrorist attack on Mumbai in 2008 and the pirate attack on the Quest in February 2011, highlight maritime threats to the United States. The maritime domain presents a range of potential security threats — including naval forces of adversary nations, piracy, and the use [...]
The Kalashnikov Rifle
Everyone seems to have an opinion on Comrade Kalashnikov’s rifle Josef Stalin could have been referring to the Kalashnikov when he famously said “Quantity has a quality all its own”. Over 100 million have been produced and put into circulation since the first weapon rolled off of the Soviet assembly line in 1947, and during [...]
Why You Need a Boarding Axe
Stowaways in the hold? Giant rats in the bilge? Cabin door needs breached? Towline needs cut? Pirate undeserving of a bullet? Only one tool can accomplish all of these – The Boarding Axe. Before anyone gets confused – ground pounders use Tomahawks, naval forces use Boarding Axes. There are differences between the two, mainly the [...]
RECENT COMMENTS