A) No, it wouldn't be a retaliation. Again, you're not quite grasping the meaning of the word.

B) They've been policing it for a while now.

C) In case you weren't aware, there's been more than just one pirate attack.

The latest to fall in the hands of pirates were the Hong Kong-flagged Great Creation and Greek ship Centauri on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. Both have a crew of 25. Then of course the seizing today. The various pirates are having a good week

but your assuming that the function of policing is retaliatory when its not. the function of police is to maintain peace and order in a community, where ever that may be. you cannot seriousty say that Russia want to send some kind of policing presence is in retaliation to one pirate attack

Hrm a 120mm cannon is only about 4 inches and its not even autoloading.  So they wouldn't outgun a frigate. They could probably take out one of our coast guard cutters with those. If they got some moderate freighters or sampans and had the tank strapped onto the deck they'd make a good commerce raider. Or they could use 33 tanks to pwn dowtown Mogadishu.

no your arguing that policing and especially in this instance can only be retaliatory. there is a need for some kind of police in the area that supercedes this or the countless other acts of piracy. but also to police other international laws separate from this issue. the gernal disregaurd for international laws in the area is why there needs to be a police prescence, not just becasue of one isolated incedent.

and you could pawn mogadishu with a pee-shooter

soo.. ukrainians lose tanks to pirates. russians want to help and send a ship to the pirate area. einstein blames russians for being incompetent.

did i miss anything? or is this it so far?

/me waits for Russian Navy to join the pirates

the 125mm smoothbore on a T-72 IS autoloading. But yes it wouldnt outgun a frigate. pirates couldnt really use a tank since they are not trained.

lets not forget that T-72's are obsolete. even the most heavily upgraded versions are distinctly lacking compared to the T-80 & T-90.

Mounting the tank on one of their ships would slow their own ships down. Making them ineffective pirates when they turn tail and run when a couple destroyers show up... And blow their ass up.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7641468.stm

guess they didn't get far.

> Manticore wrote:

> 1) Russian Made tanks Ukraine sold to Kenya does not = Russian Incompetence as Russia has absolutely nothing to do with the Ukraine-->Kenya deal.

2) Russia is sending warships to the area to a) take back their former place in the world by involving themselves in Africa and Asia and South America... b) Prevent one of THEIR vessels from falling pray to the pirates therefore the whole its a retaliation argument is pointless as the Russians are trying to prevent this from happening.

<quote> Russia announced on Friday it would start carrying out regular anti-piracy patrols in the waters off Somalia.
A navy spokesman said a warship had been sent to the area earlier this week to protect Russian citizens and ships. </end Quote>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7637257.stm

What the initial post shows is an ignorant little prick who tries to show how weak, and stupid the Russians are hoping no one will read it. If this case was about the US Replacing Russia with US and Ukraine with say Spain... If someone had made the same spin the "Patriotic" Americans would have been foaming at the mouth by now... Just goes to show, their Ignorance, Hierocracy and plain stupidity.

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tjooh, have to admit.. the topic needs changing.. it isn't russia it's ukraine, completely different states. Thou i can understand why russia send a ship to patrol the area, as they'r playing the big brother card for eastern europe still and they'r still a world power, it's not only US playing police and messing around in the world.

Anyways have to say.. where the f00k was the security.. if your tranporting tanks+ spare parts + ammo for them in same cargo.. your damn crazy if you don't set up a company from military to escort it. Would not surprise me if some official in kenia tipped the pirates for it and arranged it to go under-guarded.