Even an experienced crew will be prone to panic in the face of something as new and frightening as an armed attack on their ship. Unless they are prepared. Unless they have been thoroughly briefed on how and why an attack happens, what it looks like and PRECISELY what each of them must do in the event of such an incident. Our on-board education and training blocks give captain and crew the confidence and peace of mind that only comes with foreknowledge and preparedness. Through detailed, Powerpoint briefings, Q&A sessions, drawing up customized contingency plans/emergency procedures, designating and equipping a safe room, and intensive, repetitive, live-action, all-hands drills, we ensure that everyone on-board knows what to expect and what is expected of them.
On-board countermeasures serve two purposes on a vessel in dangerous waters. Firstly, like the moat around a castle, countermeasures are meant to impede and complicate the task of approaching and boarding a targeted vessel, thus buying the crew critical time. Secondly, they provide a visual deterrent. Pirates want a soft target and the sight of pre-positioned devices and obstacles sends a clear message that you have no intention of giving up without a fight and that their path to your wheelhouse will not be an easy one. This alone is often enough to encourage the attackers to abort the attempt and go look for a more unsuspecting victim. Countermeasures can take the form of something as simple as razor-wire or as high-tech as a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD).
Until a few years ago, some industry "experts" insisted that having firearms on-board was just too risky. That was before armed bad guys started making a habit of hijacking their unarmed vessels. Today, those in the know accept the fact that, when faced with a potentially deadly, active threat in open water, weapons are a must. As noted above, we strongly advocate the use of non-lethal countermeasures, but none of these gizmos and gadgets could not be disabled with small arms fire, and they certainly don't match up well against an RPG. In the worst case scenario (which is what one MUST train for), it often comes down to firepower. As with the aforementioned countermeasures, the visual deterrent effect is often all that is needed. Most attackers do not want your ship or its contents enough to take a bullet. If the sight of armed personnel on deck is not sufficient, usually a few warning shots will get the message across. However, if for whatever reason a group of armed marauders is determined to board and take over your vessel, our protection specialists may be all that stands between you and (at best) several months of decidedly unpleasant captivity.
