Journal of Energy Security's Anti-Piracy Drill Down

While I noted the adverse energy security impacts of the recent bout of piracy in a February post here, this article from the Journal of Energy Security, on the same subject, got my attention for its high level of scholarship and analysis. The overview of the different anti-pirate technologies being considered, especially the different laser varieties and the unmanned surface vessels (USVs), is particularly interesting.

Until recently, large scale piracy on the high seas (vs. piracy in the digital world) seemed highly improbable. And yet its occurrence is having a big impact on shipping companies, their customers, and many of the world's navies. Piracy hit close to home for me when a friend in the NATO bureau at US State Department headquarters was recently reassigned to focus full time on coordinating anti-piracy procedures and policies with our allies.

Map: Wikimedia Commons