Mgellis
Posts: 2054
Joined: 8/18/2007 Status: offline
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So...a bit of a thought experiment here... Let's say it's ten years or so in the future and things are getting pretty bad. Fish stocks have collapsed around the world due to overfishing, global warming, etc., and people are getting desperate. Some fishermen are sneaking into EEZs to fish illegally. A few have even turned pirate on occasion, ambushing another fishing boat, killing the crew, and taking both catch and boat to a port where they can sell them. More and more fishing boats are arming themselves. So, what could you put on a fishing boat (the types in the database range from about 100 tons to 2,500 tons) that wasn't really meant to be armed, but is big enough to mount a couple of weapons. I'm thinking one option would be a couple of heavy machine guns or even 20 mm. automatic cannons amidship (fore and aft you would still have all the machinery associated with fishing, nets, etc.). You could probably mount 81-mm. mortars, too. And shoulder-launched rockets or even SAMs are another possibility. Mind you, these are NOT warships...they are fishing boats, but they are fishing boats where the captain assumes he might have to play rough sometimes to bring the catch home. What else? Any other ideas? I imagine one limitation is that these ships were not originally meant to be armed, so you have to stick with fairly small weapons. But what is the well-armed fishing trawler wearing in 2025? Inquiring minds want to know.
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