Pirates steal tanks - real world

[kcdusk]

A russian warship is trying to intercept a ukrainian vessel carrying 33 T-72 tanks and ammunition. The ship was bound for Kenya.

It was taken over by pirates off the horn of africa.

They dont know if hte pirates knew before hand what the ship was carrying.

1) as a plot it sounds a bit "ambitious", but hey, the real world is often crazier than anything you can think of.

2) trying to sell the tanks is going to be a bitch! Yes, they are worth allot, and you'd make a ton of money even selling at half price. But trying to sell 33 MBT's that you stole will still take some work!

[Fusilier]

There are lots of warlords who will be interesting in buying them. I don't think they knew before hand. There is a pirate attack like every 3 days around there... just the odds I think. At the moment there is 60 vessels still held somewhere in Somalia with its 300 crewman... piracy is big business.

[Jason]

Sounds like perfect Merc2k fodder. Piracy is something that never seems to go away because it is so profitable.

[Grimace]

Yeah, those pirates are about to have a real world of hurt come down around them. Not only is there a U.S. destroyer that is "keeping an eye" on the captured ship (it actually has it spotted and is just watching it) but there's a Russian naval ship steaming to go kill 'em some pirates! Or sink the ship barring they can't take it back.

Most figure the pirates will give the ship back once a naval ship shows up and demands their surrender and fires a warning shot. I guess only time will tell.

[Jason Weiser]

I don't think they'll sink her...I suspect the frigate has a Russian Naval Spetznaz team embarked with orders to kill every pirate aboard...and after that, bill Kenya and Ukraine for services rendered...

[Mohoender]

Islamist warlords had been thrown out of Mogadishiu. and 33 T-72+amo might tip the balance a bit. I heard that ship was heading for islamist held harbor. I didn't know what it was carrying so.

[jester]

Originally Posted by kcdusk

A russian warship is trying to intercept a ukrainian vessel carrying 33 T-72 tanks and ammunition. The ship was bound for Kenya.

It was taken over by pirates off the horn of africa.

They dont know if hte pirates knew before hand what the ship was carrying.

1) as a plot it sounds a bit "ambitious", but hey, the real world is often crazier than anything you can think of.

2) trying to sell the tanks is going to be a bitch! Yes, they are worth allot, and you'd make a ton of money even selling at half price. But trying to sell 33 MBT's that you stole will still take some work!

Not really since you have warlords and local despotes who would readily buy them reguardless of where they came from or how they were aquired.

And for the locals Somalia, Chad, Sudan, Euritria and even parts of Kenya they would tip the balance of power in the region. Think of a scenario very much like T2K where warlords have alot of hired guns but so does your neighboring rival warlord. But, no one has any tanks....until you purchase some, then well the balance is tipped.

Remember a tank is a force multiplier, where it really shines is when it has infanty to support and to support it, and then its really multiplied. And unless you have ALOT of men you can afford to loose, another tank of equal caliber or some kick ass anti armor weapons or air then what are your chances of stopping it?

Of course if grenades and RPGs will do it, as well as molotov cocktails but you need to have the oportunity present itsself, and are your men that well trained and disciplined? And again, how many will you loose doing it? If you loose most of your men defeating the tank then can you rightly claim victory? Or will you now be at the mercy of a warlord who was once much weaker than you but, now you weakened yourself fighting that tank.

Ah the use of complex weapons is one cool factor that tosses a new dynamic into the scheme of things.

As for what will happen, I don't think Ivan will be as subtle to send in a naval speitznaz team, they're more likely to just sink it.

[Matt Wiser]

Weren't the tanks sold by Russia to the Kenyans? If so, the Russians are still liable for the shipment until they reach the intended end users.

The Russians have a reputation for ruthlessness in matters of terrorists/insurgents/pirates; when four Russians were kidnapped in Beirut in 1987 (and one murdered), the GRU found the brother of the terrorist group's leader, and sent him back to the family-one piece at a time, until the three other Russians were set free. A day's worth of deliveries was sufficient enough to induce compliance. Another story from the late '80s had a Soviet destroyer with Naval Infantry aboard returning from an Angolan deployment when they got an SOS call from a frieighter off the Nigerian coast that had been attacked by pirates. The destroyer responded, and found a large freighter with a small coaster moving in alongside to send a boarding party aboard. The destroyer shelled the coaster (pirate vessel) and sent the Naval Infantry aboard. Bottom line, frieighter rescued, pirate vessel scuttled, and the pirates were tried under Soviet Military Law in a summary court-martial for piracy. The accused were found guilty and shot.

[Targan]

However it happens and by whomever I look forward to hearing the news that those Somali pirates have been butchered to the last man. Pirates are scum and though it wouldn't be fair to tar all Somalis with the same brush those that are into killing seem to be zealously homicidal.

Here in Perth we have had some problems with Somali street gangs. We've had a few hundred Somali families come here as refugees and while their elders may be good, law abiding citizens alot of their kids seem to get off on using knives and machetes on people in the streets. Bullet in the back of the head for every one of the bloodthirsty little sh*ts IMO.

[Mohoender]

Originally Posted by Matt Wiser

Weren't the tanks sold by Russia to the Kenyans? If so, the Russians are still liable for the shipment until they reach the intended end users.

The Russians have a reputation for ruthlessness in matters of terrorists/insurgents/pirates; when four Russians were kidnapped in Beirut in 1987 (and one murdered), the GRU found the brother of the terrorist group's leader, and sent him back to the family-one piece at a time, until the three other Russians were set free. A day's worth of deliveries was sufficient enough to induce compliance. Another story from the late '80s had a Soviet destroyer with Naval Infantry aboard returning from an Angolan deployment when they got an SOS call from a frieighter off the Nigerian coast that had been attacked by pirates. The destroyer responded, and found a large freighter with a small coaster moving in alongside to send a boarding party aboard. The destroyer shelled the coaster (pirate vessel) and sent the Naval Infantry aboard. Bottom line, frieighter rescued, pirate vessel scuttled, and the pirates were tried under Soviet Military Law in a summary court-martial for piracy. The accused were found guilty and shot.

I didn't know about the second story (pirate) but that doesn't surprise me; very Russian. At the time of the first, however, I knew a few French military who were found of the Russian dealing ways in Beirut. Actually, they were wishing we could have done the same.

By the way the tanks were not sold by Russia but by Ukraine. So expect the Russians to love the idea of sinking that ship and that may be why the US Navy is also chasing it (beside not liking the idea of having these tanks in islamist hands). Of course, I'm a little imaginative here but I bet the Russians would love to see Ukraine loose some money.

[copeab]

So, how often is a tank company captured by guys in a boat?

Brandon

[Adm.Lee]

Tank company, nothing-- that's a Soviet-table battalion, with 2 spares. My paper today said that the Kenyans are now saying the tanks and weapons are for the south Sudan forces, who are denying any such thing. And both say that the UN arms embargo is not being violated.

[kato13]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worl...i-pirates.html


This is the dramatic moment a ransom of $3million was paid to Somali pirates to end the world's biggest ship hijacking.

The canister full of cash was parachuted onto the Sirius Star - observed by the U.S. Navy who provided these images - and the two-month ordeal of the 25 crew, including two Britons, was finally over.

However things went badly wrong for the pirates soon after the drop - they squabbled over how to split the money and then a wave washed off their getaway boat and drowned five of them.

The pirates originally wanted more than £16 million to release the boat and its £65 million load of oil. Eventually they accepted the offer of $3million (around £2million).
Dramatic: The apparent ransom payment is delivered via a parachuted container to pirates holding the Sirius Star

But as they made off they continued to row about the payout.

'Two of them swam and survived. One is still missing.

The weather was so terrible that it blew the boat over, then sank it.

We got five dead bodies and we are still searching for the missing one. The waves were disastrous,' said Farah Osman, an associate of the gang.

It is not known what happened to the money or those who survived.

8<-----------snipped---------->8

[chico20854]

And the Faina, the Ukrainian ship with the 33 tanks aboard, was released last week after $3.2 million was airdropped to the pirates.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009...-military-ship

[Matt Wiser]

I'm actually surprised those pirates on that T-72 laden freighter are still breathing. Given as how the Russians can be...ruthless in such matters. I was half expecting to hear on CNN that Russian SF had stormed the ship, eliminated the pirates, and sailed her off. Maybe the shipowners asked the Russians to hold off and see if the Pirates accepted the deal that was offered? If they don't, the threat of Spetsnatz paying them a nighttime visit hangs over their heads.

[Legbreaker]

What's to say that's not exactly what happened and the report is an out of character attempt by the Russians to look less bloodthirsty?

But that's probably just the cynic in me talking....

[chico20854]

or possibly that the Russians can talk big talk but when it comes to pushing someone a little tougher than Georgians or Ukrainians around they can't perform????