SONIC WEAPON

Armed pirates approach the Seabourn Spirit, in a photo taken by British passenger Norman Fisher.


Pirates shoot at Britons' cruise liner

Terrified Britons came under fire from machine-guns and rocket-propelled grenades yesterday when pirates tried to hijack one of the world's most luxurious cruise liners.
Holidaymakers on the Seabourn Spirit watched in disbelief as the armed bandits blew a hole in the side of the vast ship and hit a passenger cabin during their failed attempt to board.
The ship was carrying 161 crew members and 151 passengers who had paid up to £6,000 each to enjoy the 16-day cruise in the height of luxury.

[The ship's crew triggered a sonic weapon, which sent out ear-splitting bangs to repel the pirates. The Spirit escaped with minor damage and slight injuries to one crew member caused by shrapnel. The sonic device, known as a Long Range Acoustic Device, or LRAD, is a so-called "non-lethal weapon" developed for the military after the 2000 attack on the USS Cole in Yemen as a way to keep operators of small boats from approaching U.S. warships.]