New laser gun to dazzle Somali pirates

London, September 8 (ANI): A British defence manufacturer has designed a laser gun that can be used to dazzle pirates, leaving them incapacitated, thus becoming the perfect weapon to fight Somali pirates.

According to a report in the Telegraph, known as the 'Laser Dazzle System, the device is powerful enough to incapacitate pirates up to 1,000 yards away, while leaving them physically unscathed.

The Laser Dazzle System has been created by defence manufacturer BAE to help ship owners fend off the pirate gangs that have seized a number of vessels off the coast of East Africa.

Military boats have been armed with similar gadgets for years, but BAE Systems is now making them available for use on cruise ships and tankers.

"Piracy is on the rise. Attacks in 2008 were double those of the previous year. There is a clear need for better methods to help ships identify and evade the pirates before an attack occurs," said Nick Stoppard, the firm's director of solutions development.

The laser gun is one of the hi-tech sea security gadgets being unveiled at a defence exhibition in London.

Other anti-piracy tools being unveiled at the Defence Systems and Equipment International exhibition at the ExCeL centre in London's Docklands this week include a radar that can detect a dinghy from 15 miles away, and another device that can close down a vessel's engine remotely. (ANI)