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Cruise ship used high-tech noise gun on attacking pirates
The Seattle Times ^
| November 8, 2005
| John Pain
Posted on 11/08/2005 6:10:31 PM PST by neverdem
click here to read article
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To: DB
A good set of earplugs that cost 25 cents will make it completely ineffective. Well, probably not. For one thing earplugs only give you 10-15 dB of suppression, so that 150 dB "warning" mode is reduced to 135 to 140 dB. For another sound levels like 150 dB are felt as much as heard, depending on the frequency. Scramble your insides they might.
Still I'd prefer a nice 20 mm Gatling, or for a ship as big as a those cruise ships, maybe a 30 mm similar to the GAU-8 carried by the A-10. Private yachts and the like should carry a pair of Ma Dueces, if not maybe more. Clearly though, even the 20 mm, even in a single barrel automatic would be plenty for boats such as the one shown, and some quite a bit larger as well.
41
posted on
11/08/2005 8:48:12 PM PST
by
El Gato
To: spookadelic
The sound generator and even heavy weapons wouldn't do you much good since you would probably not understand whats going on until its too late, and we cant have a destoyer follow every cruiseship wherever it goes. Disagree. Those ships have pretty decent surface radar, they will see any "visitors" coming. Then it's on the radio to call out the calvary, if any Navy has ships or aircraft nearby. Failing that, and most of the time it would, you get on the hailing frequency and warn them off. Then you start shooting, shots across the bow if you feel you can safely do that. Then sink the SoBs, before they can get into RPG or bomb range. If you're lucky you set off their main charge when they're a thousand yards or so off.
42
posted on
11/08/2005 8:55:02 PM PST
by
El Gato
To: El Gato
Of course the "authorities" in every third world cesspool, and most "first world" ones as well, will defecate a brick if you pull into their port armed with such interesting heavy hardware.
43
posted on
11/08/2005 8:57:10 PM PST
by
El Gato
To: Cold Heart
"And if they send the same guys back, who are now deaf, they won't need any ear plugs at all."
And that's the point to be made. Our response (NOT .50) means they can come back. Are pirates bad guys or not? Why are we worried about their feelings? I'm sure loud noises would have discouraged the old, real pirates. Loud cannons without balls?
44
posted on
11/08/2005 8:57:35 PM PST
by
satan
(They)
To: 359Henrie
Concur, but I think they have problems with lifeboat drills, much less GUNNERS, man your battle stations. Could be a problem. But if you restrict yourself to 20mm and .50 cals, automation could help alot. You could easily control the entire armament from single station on the bridge.
45
posted on
11/08/2005 9:04:00 PM PST
by
El Gato
To: satan
Think outside the box...it's not to keep from hurting the pirates. One reason it's non-lethal is to prevent having a lethal weapon that can be used in sitations other than an attack on the ship.
46
posted on
11/08/2005 9:13:03 PM PST
by
Gondring
(I'll give up my right to die when hell freezes over my dead body!)
To: El Gato
Well actually not.
Those are the mean attenuations and the standard deviation is around 4 dB. If used improperly then all bets are off.
In addition, I use these earplugs every night. I have a sound level meter. I have experience in sound reenforcement so I have some understanding of sound pressure levels and what they are like along with relative levels.
And, 150 dB is at the source. From a ship deck the distance would be likely at least 50 feet attenuating the sound substantially. The article already says that it sounds similar to a smoke detector so the frequencies involved are not low. So no "scrambling of your insides" is likely. Only slight surface heating perhaps.
I've been in enclosed areas with average sound pressures exceeding 125 dB - with ear protection. Very loud... You can feel every hair on your body... If feels like they are all being touched/brushed at the same time... I blurs your vision... It's pretty amazing ;-)
47
posted on
11/08/2005 9:31:46 PM PST
by
DB
(©)
To: El Gato
I should add the audio frequencies used have to be somewhat high in order to direct it selectively to a target.
48
posted on
11/08/2005 9:34:52 PM PST
by
DB
(©)
To: El Gato
As far as actual weapons go, I agree. Use real guns.
49
posted on
11/08/2005 9:35:54 PM PST
by
DB
(©)
To: El Gato
"maybe a 30 mm similar to the GAU-8 carried by the A-10"
YEAH, that'll leave a mark! Might be a bit of overkill, though, since they'd never find the shreds of terrorist tissue.....
50
posted on
11/08/2005 9:49:37 PM PST
by
Enchante
(Joe Wilson: "I don't know anything about uranium, but I did stay in a Holiday Inn last night!")
Comment #51 Removed by Moderator
To: Sertorius
Disney should send one of their cruise ships into the Indian Ocean with machine guns hidden on it and advertise the adventure as "Pirates of Somalia Cruise" passengers could dress up as Mickie Mouse and take pot shots at the pirates that attack.
That's a wonderful idea. Really.
Sounds like fun in international waters. You could stock the ship with lots of booze. And narcotics. And strippers.
This could be The Next Big Thing.
To: neverdem
The French could probably use that tech.
To: neverdem
Pirates eh? I don't see any pirate hats.
54
posted on
11/09/2005 5:25:54 AM PST
by
Aquinasfan
(Isaiah 22:22, Rev 3:7, Mat 16:19)
To: DB
It is a directed weapon, so the we don't know how much loss of dB is as a function of distance, within reason of course. It may be like a laser beam at short distances, before atmospheric interference forces more normal sound behavior.
Here's a better story on the weapon.
http://washingtontimes.com/national/20040307-120634-6220r.htm
DK
To: Dark Knight
I doesn't matter in this case. It is not like collimated laser light.
The beam width has to expand with distance - it is air pressure waves. So double the distance, double the beam width (at best). Hence 1/4 the pressure density at double the distance (or 6 dB of attenuation).
56
posted on
11/09/2005 6:14:15 AM PST
by
DB
(©)
To: Dark Knight
Notice the "300 yards or less" statement in the link you posted in order for it to be affective?
That's the reason why.
57
posted on
11/09/2005 6:17:42 AM PST
by
DB
(©)
To: Rose in RoseBear
Noise-weapon ping...
58
posted on
11/09/2005 6:32:04 AM PST
by
Bear_in_RoseBear
(I ain't as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was)
To: neverdem
Non-lethal weapons are downright stupid. If someone attacks us (or our property) they deserve to die. Quickly yet painfully.
59
posted on
11/09/2005 6:40:10 AM PST
by
John O
(God Save America (Please))
To: George W. Bush
booze and narcotics might affect our aim.
60
posted on
11/09/2005 6:41:15 AM PST
by
Sertorius
(A hayseed with no Greek and dam^ proud of it)
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