Somali pirates are getting bolder as they operate further from their shores. Their former playground in the Gulf of Aden is also getting crowded with naval ships from different countries and they have expanded their scope with an even daring capture of another ship in the port of Oman, almost near the mouth of the Persian Gulf where most of the world's oil supply pass through.

It has been a very expensive and tough job for the world's navies, even with their big ships, highly trained sailors, and high technology. As the area is one of the busiest sea lanes in the world, there are thousands of ships --- ranging from small fishing boats, to the world's supertankers. Boarding and inspecting ships and boats is like looking for a needle in a haystack. And they always react when it's too later, another merchant ship laden with millions of dollars of cargo hijacked already steaming its way to Somalia.

Piracy has become a top jobs provider in Somalia, with hundreds of millions of dollars that have already exchanged hands in order to release all the expensive ships and expensive cargo. Shipping companies cannot avoid disrupting the world's commerce as the area provide the fastest route to Europe and Asia via the Suez Canal.

Now, Private Military Contractors have discovered that they can provide even better value for their clients as compared to PSD operations or providing behind lines logisitical security. Whilst there are many captives and ships in the hands of the pirates, they rarely kill ship crews or sink ships so as not to jeopardize their ransom demands. PMCs will find vessel protection as a less riskier option, but the rewards are as much lucrative, and help keep the world's shipping lanes open where the world's navies have failed.

(PVI Personnel. Photo Source: Maritime Security Review)

Companies are now being put up to provide ship protection. Whilst governments may find it an uncomfortable option of allowing armed ships, they silently acknowledge that they are an effective and low-cost solution than sending in their billion dollar ships with hundreds of crews that need millions of dollars just to maintain while patrolling the sea lanes during peace time.

One British company, according to Lloyd's list, is the Protection Vessels International (PVI), which is now growing fast and plan to open offices in different countries and cities very much reliant of sea trade. The company has been hiring former soldiers and Royal Marines as they keep up with the demand for their services.

Other countries such as Spain and Turkey are seeing homegrown ones getting into the action. We won't be surprise if the Philippines would be a recruitment ground for these companies as the country provides the largest merchant marine personnel in the world and have quite a good number of experienced Marines and special operations soldiers.  Retired US Navy SEALs are in demand and command a good price.

(Turkish Ship Protection Team. Photo Source: Bosphorus Naval News)

There are still no discussions about the loadout of such ship-borned PMCs in military and airsoft forums, whereas PMCs in Iraq and Afghanistan still merit much discussion about what they use when providing services. It's still too early as the PMCs in the high seas are still to make an impact or show their effectiveness. Until something dramatic happens, on the same level as the Maersk Alabama where US Navy SEALs' snipers took out Somali pirates to save the ship's captain, they might not be discussed, which would be perfectly ok for the PMCs to keep a lower profile .

Will they be really effective? They might as Somali pirates are not as sophisticated as the combatants the PMCs and Coalition forces faced in Iraq and Afghanistan, that warning shots may just be what are needed to shoo away the pirates. But with a failed state such as a Somalia, where there's no order, no jobs, and an ongoing famine, there will be Somalis willing to take up an AK-47 or an RPG-7, ride a rickety boat to bag themselves a merchant ship. It seems that these new PMCs will have their hands full scanning the seas for that faint sign of an approaching pirate boat.

(Teaser Photo: Pirates of the Somalian by Herocraft)