[The KG9 Kid]

"... Our son deploys on a DDG in a few weeks for 6 months and my poor daughter in law is a wreck this morning thinking that pirates may board a DDG"

A destroyer would shred a pirate speedboat 2500 yards out with even their smallest gun.

Blow it to pieces, absolutely guaranteed.

[jacquej]

Report on Fox news that the pirates seized the Captain and are holding him hostage...

Story isn’t over yet.

[El Gato]

We put those things, Mk38 Bushmasters, on support ships too, not just destroyers, including those operated by the Military Sealift command with civilian crews. (but military to man the weapons).

IMO, we should mount them on every US flagged Merchant ship as well. With a Navy Armed Guard detachment to man them.

It's been done before. My uncle served in the NAG on the Liberty Ship SS William Clark. He survived the war, although the Clark did not survive what I think was her second voyage after being launched. U-boat got her.

There is a Clark, well actually a " USNS Lewis and Clark" operating today. (The Lewis was a sister ship to the Clark). She is the lead ship of her class of dry cargo underway replenishment ships, T-AKE-1.

I think my Uncle L would approve. Or then again maybe not, he could be very contrary. :) According to some sources, the "Lewis and Clark" class is armed with 2-6 M2 Machine guns and/or 7.62 medium machine guns.