Russia’s top arms producer has unveiled plans to help repel attacks by pirates and reduce the number of hijacks on the country’s civil ships.
Vladimir Korenkov, from arms manufacturer Bazalt, said it‘s equipping vessels with it’s multi-barrel grenade launching systems to help curb pirate aggression. But the move is a complex one and involves passing stringent measures regarding weapons on boats. Korenkov told RIA Novosti news agency: “Grenade launchers are more complex than small arms. Special regulations are needed to arm ships with them.” Piracy remains an acute problem for world trade. According to the International Maritime Organization, more then a hundred incidents were reported in the first six months of 2008, with the African coastline being the main hotspot.