As Piracy Spikes, So Do High-Tech Solutions

(Nov. 18) -- When the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama was seized by Somali pirates in April, the ship's captain was held captive for five days, and the crew complained that all they had to defend themselves were knives. But when pirates tried to attack the cargo ship again Wednesday morning, the U.S. Navy reports, the Maersk Alabama was better prepared, thwarting the takeover with small-arms fire and some more cutting-edge weaponry.

In fact, the rash of pirate attacks has spawned a cottage industry in piracy-prevention measures. Private companies are offering anti-piracy courses. And shipping companies and private yacht owners have increasing options for taking their protection into their own hands.

Acoustic devices like the one the Maersk Alabama employed – sometimes called "sonic blasters" – have proven among the most popular approaches. Nonlethal and relatively simple to operate, they have been used to repel several high-profile pirate attacks. The most well-known is the Long Range Acoustic Device; others include the Hyperspike, a kind of super-loudspeaker, and Inferno, a Swedish-made technology that claims its "sound barrier" can produce nausea and dizziness.

Using high-pressure water is another popular approach. The Russians have developed a high-powered water cannon, while a Dutch firm advertises a cannon that sprays extremely hot water and can be used as a "shield" against attacking pirates.

Some of the larger defense companies are pitching more sophisticated tools, such as a high-tech radar system to detect approaching ships. Among the more exotic devices available are weapons that use directed energy, such as lasers, to fend off attackers. Military analyst James Jay Carafano has suggested that such weapons could be used to disable the engine of an approaching boat.

Perhaps the most novel technology proposed is a nonlethal military weapon that shoots a "heat beam." The U.S. military's Active Denial System uses millimeter waves to heat the top layer of human skin, creating an intense burning sensation.

"Upon feeling the intense heat, the boat driver immediately stops piloting the boat, ducks for cover and does not resume following the ship," says one report, describing how this weapon would work against pirates.