Piracy on a Slight Uptick in the Singapore Straights

[Husky_Khan]

Sea robbery attempt in Singapore Strait foiled by Singapore and Indonesian navies

SINGAPORE - A daring robbery attempt by three pirates in the Singapore Strait on Monday (March 16) morning was foiled by the close cooperation between the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL). Read more at straitstimes.com.

www.straitstimes.com

This incident ended well with the pirates actually apprehended and most of the incidents of piracy recently have apparently been minor. But there's been eight incidents already this year in the Straights, and thirty one last year while in years previous it was in the single digits.

 

[Emperor Tippy]

Sea robbery attempt in Singapore Strait foiled by Singapore and Indonesian navies

SINGAPORE - A daring robbery attempt by three pirates in the Singapore Strait on Monday (March 16) morning was foiled by the close cooperation between the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) and the Indonesian Navy (TNI-AL). Read more at straitstimes.com.

www.straitstimes.com

This incident ended well with the pirates actually apprehended and most of the incidents of piracy recently have apparently been minor. But there's been eight incidents already this year in the Straights, and thirty one last year while in years previous it was in the single digits.

Alas, they don't actually handle pirates properly.

Capture pirates -> gift them a bullet to the head at high speed -> toss body overboard.

 

[Lanmandragon]

As we withdraw more from patrolling the seas. Except an uptick in general piracy except I the N. Atlantic. As I'd imagine we'll keep that on lock.

 

[Deleted member 88]

Indeed, no power has the naval might to keep the sea lanes open and piracy suppressed. If the US retreats from maintaining freedom of the seas, with regards to trade-I expect piracy to return. As all it is, is robbery on the seas.

I think people sometimes forget that a multipolar world means a world where no one can enforce the norms and order we all have taken for granted in the past seventy years.

 

[Scottty]

Back in the day, weren't merchant ships armed?

 

[Marduk]

Back in the day, weren't merchant ships armed?

They were, for exactly that reason. Now in the age of lawyers and many ports that make issue with gun ownership, it usually is done by special security teams. In some cases they get airlifted out of the ship with their equipment before entering some ports that make too much complications around it. The good news is that pirates so far aren't equipped and trained well enough to have a chance with a ship prepared in this way. The sheer size of freighters compared to boats pirates use gives a major tactical advantage, add some long guns, nevermind machineguns or anti tank weapons and boarding becomes pretty much suicidal.
There are cases where crews have repelled them even without having guns, using only non lethal and anti access measures - like spraying the pirate's boat with huge amounts of water from the ship's fire suppression system.

 

[Urabrask Revealed]

There are cases where crews have repelled them even without having guns, using only non lethal and anti access measures - like spraying the pirate's boat with huge amounts of water from the ship's fire suppression system.

Yeah, the problem is stupid nations will use incidents like your example as a justification for not allowing merchant ships to arm themselves heavily. "You managed to fight them off with non-lethal equipment, so clearly we can keep icky guns out of civilians' hands!"

 

[Deleted member 88]

Just wait till piracy becomes a far more sophisticated and heavily armed enterprise.

 

[Marduk]

Just wait till piracy becomes a far more sophisticated and heavily armed enterprise.

Would require better organization, technically competent personnel, and more investment in equipment, making the enterprise more targetable on financial and infrastructure basis.

 

[Deleted member 88]

Would require better organization, technically competent personnel, and more investment in equipment, making the enterprise more targetable on financial and infrastructure basis.

I was thinking state sponsored piracy. Your average Somali Pirate has a small motorboat and an old AK-47. To really threaten merchant shipping-you need heavier armaments, faster ships, and better trained crews for sailing and boarding.

 

[Scottty]

I was thinking state sponsored piracy. Your average Somali Pirate has a small motorboat and an old AK-47. To really threaten merchant shipping-you need heavier armaments, faster ships, and better trained crews for sailing and boarding.

Privateering?

 

[Marduk]

I was thinking state sponsored piracy. Your average Somali Pirate has a small motorboat and an old AK-47. To really threaten merchant shipping-you need heavier armaments, faster ships, and better trained crews for sailing and boarding.

What state is going to sponsor it and take the risks that come with it? Even if they target countries without carriers or expeditionary divisions, sure, as long as doormats rule it they may get away with it mostly, but if they piss them off enough, note that even some second tier powers have cruise missile capable submarines. Boom, there goes El Presidente's palace, if he's unlucky, it happens when he's in it. Also if it happens enough, unescorted freighters stop coming their way.
Long story short, modern world is too "small" to risk such escalation against themselves for relatively meager gain.

 

[Deleted member 88]

Privateering?

That would be the term yes.

 

[Lanmandragon]

What state is going to sponsor it and take the risks that come with it? Even if they target countries without carriers or expeditionary divisions, sure, as long as doormats rule it they may get away with it mostly, but if they piss them off enough, note that even some second tier powers have cruise missile capable submarines. Boom, there goes El Presidente's palace, if he's unlucky, it happens when he's in it. Also if it happens enough, unescorted freighters stop coming their way.
Long story short, modern world is too "small" to risk such escalation against themselves for relatively meager gain.

Iran regularly and pretty openly wages proxies wars all over themiddle East. Why would them funding pirates be any different?

 

[Scottty]

Iran regularly and pretty openly wages proxies wars all over themiddle East. Why would them funding pirates be any different?

Attacking shipping on the high seas might get them the kind of attention that a land war in Yemen does not.

 

[Lanmandragon]

Attacking shipping on the high seas might get them the kind of attention that a land war in Yemen does not.

Yeah but they've already have attacked ships on the high seas remeber?

 

[Bear Ribs]

I think the assumption in Piracy is that the US is no longer sending it's navy to deal with any pirates it hears of, so the kind of attention they don't want won't be forthcoming anymore.

 

[Scottty]

I think the assumption in Piracy is that the US is no longer sending it's navy to deal with any pirates it hears of, so the kind of attention they don't want won't be forthcoming anymore.

Remember the Somali Pirates?
Somalia had no government, so fishing in the ocean off the coast there was a free-for all. Militia groups formed to fight this - and turned into pirates since they attacked everyone, whether they were fishing or not.

It wasn't just Uncle Sam who showed up to whack them - lots of other nations' navies got to play as well. Even the Russians.

 

[PsihoKekec]

And still it went for a long time due to retardedly politically correct rules of engagement.