Posted on 11/07/2005 4:46:54 PM PST by ElkGroveDan
The crew of a luxury cruise ship used a sonic weapon that blasts earsplitting noise in a directed beam while being attacked by a gang of pirates off Africa this weekend, the cruise line said Monday.
The Seabourn Spirit had a Long Range Acoustic Device, or LRAD, installed as a part of its defense systems, said Bruce Good, a spokesman for Miami-based Seabourn Cruise Line. The Spirit was about 100 miles off Somalia when pirates fired rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns as they tried to get onboard.
The subsidiary of Carnival Corp. was investigating whether the weapon was successful in warding off the pirates, he said. The ship's captain also changed its course, shifted into high speed and headed out into the open sea to elude the pirates, who were in two small boats, he said. He had no further details.
Device maker American Technology Corp. said earsplitting "bangs" were directed by trained security personnel toward the pirates. That, combined with ship maneuvers, caused the attackers to leave the area, the company said.
The LRAD is a so-called "non-lethal weapon" developed for the U.S. military after the 2000 attack on the USS Cole off Yemen as a way to keep operators of small boats from approaching U.S. warships.
The military version is a 45-pound, dish-shaped device that can direct a high-pitched, piercing tone with a tight beam. Neither the LRAD's operators or others in the immediate area are affected.
American Technology, based in San Diego, compares its shrill tone to that of smoke detectors, only much louder. It can be as loud as about 150 decibels, while smoke alarms are about 80 to 90 decibels.
The devices have been deployed on commercial and naval vessels worldwide since summer 2003, the company said.
Neato. I want one. I bet it would work great to clear my neighborhood park of teenagers after dark.
Not if you played rap through it...
I'm thinking a 50 cal sniper rile, would have been more effective.
Smells fishy. They just happen to have a new weapon on board a cruise liner??
Cool.
Nah, people would be really upset with me if I did that.
Does it work on Moderates ;-?
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGHHHH!
Yeah. As if by magic...
Thats funny, At first I thought the "Sonic Weapon" was Rap music.
[me too!]
Country and Rap and you'd feel like crap !........:o)
Can't wait for the Human Rights groups to wet their pants over this violation of a terrorists' rights.
Going from a complete vacuum to double atmospheric pressure is well below 150 decibels. The only known sound louder than this is measured in the exhaust of a shuttle launch where the pressure is higher than atmospheric. I wonder what other facts in the article are wrong?
Rich food from the cruise galley!
No only on alleged pirates.
I would like one to clear the deer and the racoons out of my back yard. Then to blast the dogs in the neighborhood who bark for the fun of it.
I guess that sonic beam would be ok to use while the real weapons are being passed out to the crew.
"Smells fishy. They just happen to have a new weapon on board a cruise liner??"
Yeah - really! That thing has to cost some major $cratch -
unless there is a bigger piracy/teror problem than we are lead to understand.
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