Wouldn't this work to make the "pirates" stop attacking and taking ships?

Why don't government send out decoy ships. Ships that look like they are hardly manned, but have weapons and army personnel aboard. They could do this to a bunch of ships, and make the boats look tempting to the pirates. I think if the pirates fell for this a bunch of times, and got "shot up", they would be scared to attack ships because they can't verify if military personnel are aboard.

What do you think?

TedEx

Do what Thomas Jefferson did with the barbary Pirates.

Realize that unless the then-newly formed nation, the United States protected its' honor and commerce, no nation would take us seriously.And if we didn;t do it, who would.

His response, kick ***!!!!!!!!!!

Ben Dover

Good idea, but expensive.

BiologicalRebel

Sounds good to me! Except the government probably shouldn't get involved. These attacks happen in international waters, and the companies that own the ships should be responsible for protecting their people and their cargo. I personally think we should go back to cannons.

Mark B

Too expensive
Too impractical
Too easy for the pirates to check "real" ships that load at other ports and notify their friends that do the boarding.
Too many ships go through that area to make "decoy" ships likely targets.
Even if the pirates got shot up, the risk vs. reward is too great. Lives are cheap in that area of Somalia.

All the cargo ships are "lightly manned". You are looking at a ship the size of a WWII aircraft carrier with a crew of 25.

You are better off using an overt Navy presence from multiple countries.

mer_359

if anyone tried to get on my boat i'd blast them in the face

Vinit P

Usually over some owned waters their is heavy surveilance, unforntunatly pirates tend to operate mainly on waters which cant afford such procedures, but it would be a great tactic to eliminate many pirates and perpetuate scares amongst them.

Lord Percy Wooster

Q ships have been tried in other actions
there isnt a legal ability to open fire it is in international water us law doesnt apply

Jon C

As other have said it would be cost prohibitive. Mainly this problem happens near countries that don't have the resources to prevent it and other nations can't really get openly involved with asking or being asked. And in international waters countries really have very little authority.
The only real alternatives is to arm the ship's crew which without proper training could be more dangerous than the pirates or hire private security with would be too costly for many smaller shipping companies.

Ibredd

wonderful Idea and it will work

M&T

You may be on to some thing there Bill...maybe even just put the story out on the internet without even being true..that might make the pirates worry enough to slow them down some. I like a thinking man!

Shovel Ready

Decoy ships would cost a lot more than paying the ransom.

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