Some conspiracies aren't theories.
Sometimes they're front-page news
1.
Such is modern day piracy which it
has become prevalent the world around2. The majority of
encounters with pirates today occur off the coast of Somalia.
Piracy Hot Spots
Piracy is not just a
conspiracy of a few people but of entire regions-places where the
government, and consequently law enforcement and the economy are weak
or non-existent.
The total cost of piracy is
estimated to be upwards of 12 billion dollars just for 20103 and
this figure is probably extremely conservative since many times
shipping companies simply pay the demanded ransom and never report
the attack. Under reporting could be as much as 90%4. One
reason is the fear of increased insurance costs on all of their
ships.
The economic cost
isn't just the ransoms paid. The shipping companies must also deal
with damage to the ships suffered in the attacks, stolen cargo, lost
production while the ships are held hostage or being repaired and the
subsequent increased costs of goods to consumers around the globe.
Additionally there is the human cost on which no monetary price
can be fixed. Injuries, terror and murders are simply standard
operating procedure. In February of this year, 4 tourists were
murdered on their pleasure boat; not even a big ship5.
The obvious answer
to the piracy problem would be to arm every merchant ship and place a
few well-trained mercenaries or military personnel with some or all
of the crews6. Then the ships could fight back and the
small speed boats favored by the pirates would be ineffective against
a well armed adversary fighting from the much larger, more stable
fighting platform afforded by the deck of a ship. This is not
practical however due to the varied political policies around the
world. For one thing, in most ports worldwide, merchant ships are
forbidden from being armed. Additionally, many ship owners and
captains are reluctant to arm their vessel7. Reasons cited
include crews not trained for combat and the real
possibility that once the pirates learn the ships are armed, they
will likely target those ships to steal the weapons.
So is there another
answer? One that can address the fears about pirates stealing the
very guns carried to repel them, not run afoul of the laws of any
countries and not tie up precious military personnel and equipment?
Yes! That answer is
private submarines. Submarines crewed by mercenaries. Submarines
built by and mercenaries hired by the very same shipping companies
affected and the insurance companies tasked with picking up the tab.
To succeed, we must
ask 4 questions.
1. Can it be
done?
Private
Submarines
(see
citations for links)
The history of
submarines is written with homemade efforts. The first submarine to
launch a military attack was built by a young man of 34 years named
David Bushnell. The submarine was called the Turtle, the year was 1776 and the enemy target
was the British HMS Eagle8.
The first successful
attack occurred during the War Between the States. The homemade sub
was the Confederate H.L Hunley, built by James R.
McClintock and Baxter Watson. The victim was the Union man-o-war; USS
Housatonic9.
No exact start date
can be fixed for the recent explosion in personal submarines, but in the
last 15 years they have popped all over the globe. The personal
submarine organization
Psubs.org
lists over 50 boats. A Google search for ”
personal submarine”
returns “
about 8,560,000 results”. The boats cover
the gamut from 1 man, pedal-powered lake boats to ocean-going
diesel-electric boats like the Kraka
(see red &
black sub pictured above). With the advances in hull &
propulsion technology made in the last several decades fast,
effective, reliable boats can be built economically and relatively
easily. So the short answer is: yes! It can be done.
3.
What would it
take?
Initially, the
requirements would be manpower, materials and a place to build the
boats. The challenge would be to have a base close to the area of
operation in a country that wouldn't prohibit the manufacture and
storage of arms and munitions and that would allow armed boats in
the harbor. The rest is just money. A shipyard would have to be
constructed, although the requirements for small submarines as
opposed to large surface ships are minimal. At least one dry-dock
would be needed for maintenance and repairs. In addition, housing and
facilities (including a small hospital) for support personnel and
in-port crews would be required, as well as fuel and equipment
storage facilities.
3.
How would it work?
There are two primary and
effective methods; both tried and tested during the battle of the
Atlantic in WWII. Either one, to be affective, would require about 50
boats on station at all times. With an equal number in transit to and
from the area of operations and some in port for refit and repair,
the total number of subs needed would be 100 to 150. Personnel
requirements would be around 5,000.
Plan #1: Form a picket line. The
coast of Somalia is about approximately 1,900 miles. Having 50 subs
spaced out 50 miles apart directly on the main shipping rout would
cover the entire length of the coast and a good portion of the
Arabian gulf and no ship would ever be more than 25 miles from a sub;
usually considerably closer. With modern sonar, the subs could listen
for unusual activity and, when needed, the closest sub would surface
next to the ship in danger and either repel the pirates or engage and
capture or kill them.
Plan #2: Station half of the
subs at either end of the corridor and have them escort the
individual ships until they are out of danger. Cargo ships usually
cruise at no more than 10 knots. The subs could easily keep pace.
With either plan, the subs
would stay in radio contact with ships traversing the dangerous
corridor and be advised of any suspicious boats in the area.
To protect the ships, speed is
paramount. Modern subs can reach a sprint speed of over 25 knots.
Constantly moving their stations, the subs would continue to enjoy
the element of surprise and, after several consecutive failed attacks
the bad guys would be discouraged against further attempts. The
captured ones would be turned over to the home country of the
attacked ship for prosecution. The campaign would last a year or
more; after all, piracy does pay quite well. If the sub crews remain
vigilant, the pirates would finally have to give up and find another
way to make a living.
4. How much would
it cost?
Full size, military-type
submarines and torpedoes aren't necessary. Submarines of 100' to 150'
with crews of 18 to 24 would be quite sufficient. The pirates use
small fishing boats as mother ships. 100 lbs of black powder in a
small torpedo would send them to the bottom. Each sub would also have
some small arms and probably a 2” to 3” cannon to maintain fire
power superiority. As the allies discovered in WWII, without a
superior air force, a small number of submarines can decimate even a
large, well armed navy. A handfull of fishermen with RPGs and AK47s
wouldn't stand a chance. Below is an estimate for 150 subs and the
requisite personnel.
Construction:
approx $100,000 per sub – total: approx $ 1.5 million USD
Ship yard, housing
and other associated buildings: $3 to $5 million
Salaries: approx $2
million/boat – total: approx $500 million/yr
($80,000/yr
salary @ 24/boat + support personnel)
Food, fuel, medical
& other supplies: approx $10 million/yr
Miscellaneous: $10 million/yr
These are just rough estimates
but even if I missed by half, the initial cost plus 5 years of
operation would be substantially less the reported losses just for
2010. And if anyone besides the pirates get hurt, it would be the
mercenaries that signed up for it. Not innocent seamen just trying to
get home to their families.
As for the pirates, isn't it a
glorious life? What about all the romantic tales of daring
swashbucklers living free and easy? What about the fame and fortune
garnered by all the famous ones?
Mary
Read, Anne Bonny, Calico Jack Rackam
Mary Read died of fever
in a Jamaican prison. Calico Jack Rackam danced at the gallows.
Blackbeard was shot 5 times, stabbed 20, decapitated and his head
hung from the bowsprit. So much for glory.
Only by making the risk so great
that potential rewards cease to be attractive has and will the threat
of piracy on the high seas ever been and ever will be abated. A fleet
of private submarines could make that risk a reality.
At least that's my opinion. What's
yours?
Want to build your own Submarine? Learn
how at:
See some homemade submarines
To learn more about Calico Jack,
Henry Morgan, Black Bart and others from the “Golden Age of Piracy”
visit:
Citations
