Russia has developed robot for fight against pirates
26.02.2009 Specialists of the Petrozavodsk Engineering Center for Fire Robot Technology have designed a modification of a firefighting robot that could be used to repel pirate attacks on ships. The robot has a powerful water cannon capable of wiping out the entire crew of a pirates’ boat, Ria Novosti reported.
A Kareli government official told the news agency that the new robot will be able to provide round-the-clock video surveillance. It is also able to function automatically in providing safety to a ship, and if necessary, the crew can control the functioning of the robot.
A ship will need to install 12 such robots: 6 on each side. According to the official, the robot has already attracted the attention of the Murmansk Shipping Company, whose representatives have decided to equip their ships with the robots.
A number of countries have dispatched warships to the Somali coast because of increased pirate activity there. More than 100 pirate attacks were recorded in the region in 2008, with more than 40 ships captured.