Somali Pirates: A Techno Fix?

DefenceWeb suggestions for modern ways of fighting Somali pirates in "Technology there to find, fix, finish pirates":

Finding pirates before they can launch attacks requires a fully integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance cycle: Intelligence to build an initial picture of the situation; surveillance to develop and update that picture; and focused reconnaissance to add detail and follow up leads to further refine that picture.

UAV

The key elements required to perform this function will include shore-based radars, maritime surveillance and patrol aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicle systems (UAVS); patrol vessels of several types, with embarked helicopters or UAVS; shore-based fixed and mobile sensors, including radar and optronic sensors, and electronic intelligence gathering systems to monitor radar emissions and communications signals.

Fast Manned Patrol Boats

Fast Unmanned Boats

Money to fund this work is, of course, the drawback. The rest of it is essentially correct. As has been discussed here before, the key is to, one way or the other, blockade the pirate operating areas. See, Somali Pirates: U.S. Senator Proposes Legislation for Counter Piracy, Somali Pirates: Hmmm . . . is a pirate port blockade coming? and the links therein. In the latter post, by the way, I touched on the use of UAVs, USVs and more to help in the blockade:

Manned Patrol Aircraft

Anti-Pirate "Mothership"

Containment involves limiting the damage that can be caused by pirates. This can be carried out by naval patrols, convoys, establishing safe routes and blockades of pirate ports, the very sort of activity we now see by naval units in the area.

Drones, patrol aircraft and lots of small fast boats to run down anything that leaves known pirate hangouts.

It could work.

Somali Pirates: Danes on the Attack

The Danish Navy ship Esbern Snare takes out a pirate "mother boat" as reported here:

Command ship ESBERN SNARE has patrolled along the Somali coast and blown away one of the pirates' mother ships. This limits the pirates' ability to operate far from shore.

In the past few days, NATO has had ESBERN SNARE inserted into an intelligence operation along Somalia's east coast. For this task ESBERN SNARE took yesterday a mother ship that serves as a pirate supply base out in the open ocean.

This mother ship with six suspected pirates were examined by an ESBERN SNARE boarding team, which took several effects that can be used for piracy. Among the effects were weapons and large quantities of fuel.

After ESBERN SNARE had secured evidence and confiscated equipment that can be used to pirate attacks, the suspected pirates were transferred to ESBERN SNARE and later returned to the [Somali] coast. The mother ship was blown up. (Google translation)

Go Danes!