Sounds like Prince William is going to get a good dose of the "Master and Commander" lifestyle when he goes for naval deployment one day. Ah, to be a young man again. BTW, have we missed "Talk Like A Pirate Day?" Ha-har.

I think the Ukes could have handled it, but for the insurance companies.

Walt OBrien, Boston, USA

Well the tanks are Russian by design but they were sold into a region fraught with conflicts by the pro-NATO, pro-EU UKRAINIAN government. The same Mr Yuschenko whom Mr Milliband invites into NATO on a shortlist proves again his wisdom as a statesman.

R. Theodore, Kuwait,

Stop your propaganda against Russia or learn situation better.. It is Ukrainian ship and Ukrainian tanks, from same factory than supplied tanks to Georgia!

Andrejs, Riga, Latvia

I agree with "Cap'n Morgan" of the UK. The Royal Navy's Q Ships were a simple and effective solution to such marauders. One minute an innocent looking cargo ship ripe for looting, the next minute it has launched a few torpedos at the attacker!

Kazuki, London, UK

The weapons were actually meant for the Kenyan Military and not sudan

John, Nairobi, Kenya

The countries of the world that have the capability and the means to react seem to be in a sort of coma. One must wonder to what degree and to what level of greed will these pirates continue to operate before the United Nations decides that it is in the best interest of the world to intervene.

D Bissell, Huntsville, AL, USA

Nice to know that sort of weaponry is being transported un gaurded. How bloody (soon will be) irresponsible is that!

Pete, St Albans, England

Send out Q ships as were used against U boats in WW1. Innocent looking vessels armed to the teeth with a variety of weaponry hidden from view. Wipe out the pirates with no compassion and no questions asked.

Ca'pn Morgan, York, UK

I don't believe this. The Ukrainians probably sold them the tanks & pretended they'd been stolen just to avoid censure for illegal arms trading. After all, these things can't be cheap - you can't tell me they weren't guarded somehow

Mikey, bromley, UK

Stewie O' Riordan, instead of providing Georgians with the arms, including tanks, the US could have used them against the pirates, too.

pats, Samara, Russia

Would it be too sensible for ships to spend the extra money on fuel oil and take a wide enough berth of Somalia that they can be out of speedboat range?

Ken, London,

To Stewie O' Riordan

Please reread this article that was UKRAINIAN ship with UKRAINIAN tanks. Ukraine have sold them to Kenya.
Mean time have to mention that in Georgian conflict Ukraine backed Georgia.

John, Oxford, Uk

Freedom of the seas is basic. This should be maintained at all costs. Where is the senior service when needed? These ragamuffin albeit, well armed pirates, should be crushed with extremely extreme prejudice if necesary.They have put themselves beyond the protection of the law ,any law.

Michael S. Castleton-Bridger, montevideo, uruguay

As we should know from the study of history some us [including HRH] have fared exceedingly well out of loot, especially gold of the Spanish variety; we were in fact so pleased with the results of piracy that we conferred a knighthood or two to express our satisfaction and pleasure

Nicholas Xenakis, Borough, London, England, UK

Instead of using tanks against Georgia, the Russians should use them against the pirates of Somalia.

Stewie O' Riordan, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

The Royal Navy wiped out piracy in the 19th century. Putting aside the fact that the British government has wrecked the Navy by turning it into a social engineering project, its officers have been told not to arrest pirates as it might contravene Blair's absurd Human Rights Act.

Gervas Douglas, Andorra la Vella, Andorra

It is hard to believe that this sort of hardware is being moved around the world without some sort of escort.

Bob, Leeds, UK