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ONCE MORE INTO THE BREACH


Mothership with attack craft types

Large attack craft
From the NAUTICAL LOG PR folder comes this gem, an anti-piracy simulation.  The Transas® Group well known for training equipment and programs has developed an anti-piracy simulation training program.  The idea is to make nautical students aware of what pirates off the Horn of Africa look like, techniques to avoid attacks and being hijacked.  While it most certainly serves a training purpose it does nothing to prevent piracy or being hijacked - why?  The program continues the current political approach and says nothing about armed response.  It covers the range of the pirates known weapons, changes of speed and course, best angles of approach, and speed and courses for closing and engaging pirates.  Engaging them with what?  Since a no weapons response is recommended by the UN-IMO NAUTICAL LOG wonders just what is the point of this training. 


Hopefully, because thats all we have at present, by the time these students become Masters the issue will have been solved.  It is the present day Masters who need training because many do not seem to know either the capabilities of their vessels, have the knowledge or interest to aviod or prevent an attack.  Most seem to run to the 'citadel' (the latest piece of bovine scatology) at the first suspicious sign and hope that someone will turn up to resolve the problem for them.  They have also received orders from their shipowner employer to basically just 'give up' - it is all rather pathetic.  Some have even been given orders not to report an attack at all because of possible increased Marine Insurance premiums.


So good luck with the Transas® anti-piracy simulation but it is not going to stop a single hijacking.  The way things are these days the Somali pirates more than likely already have their own copy of the simulation, have figured counter-measures to it and of course they ARE armed.

"Know the Ways of all occupations."

Good watch.

Those pirates are still holding 400 of our fellow seafarers off the coast of Somali, perhaps they watch the Transas Simulation together on the vessels equipment.

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