- A superyacht captain used sonic weapons to fend off pirates, an industry insider told The Times of London.
- They also deployed "pain rays," which create a burning sensation on the skin, the worker said.
- The captain used the weapons against armed pirates approaching on inflatable boats, the worker added.
The captain of a superyacht deployed sonic weapons and "pain rays" to fend off armed pirates in the Arabian Sea, according to an industry insider.
"Kalashnikov-wielding pirates" were speeding towards the 230-foot yacht on inflatable boats, the anonymous worker, who spent 20 years in the superyacht business, wrote in The Times of London.
The captain was said to have deployed an onboard weapon that directed "ear-splitting, high-volume acoustics" at the pirates. He was also said to have used "pain rays" – narrow beams of electromagnetic energy that trigger a burning sensation on the skin.
The worker wrote in The Times: "The threat of pirate attacks is all too real. In some areas, such as along the coast of Africa in the Gulf of Aden, it's even expected. Any protective technology worth having will find its way aboard a yacht."
Superyachts tend to be adorned with luxury features that make them attractive targets for pirates.
A Russian businessman's yacht that was seized in the UK in March has a fresh-water swimming pool and a wine cellar, the UK government said. Meanwhile, a $120 million vessel detained in France features a swimming pool that converts into a helicopter pad and a sun deck with a jacuzzi, according to its maker Oceanco.
The amenities on billionaire Roman Abramovich's $700 million superyacht Eclipse include a helipad, two swimming pools, and a dance floor, per SuperYacht Fan. Media reports have suggested the 553-foot vessel has a missile defense system but the anonymous worker wrote in the Times that this wasn't true.
Abramovich, a Russian oligarch, is among the wealthy individuals who have been targeted by Western sanctions over their connections to Russian President Vladimir Putin amid the Ukraine war. The sanctions have led to the freezing of oligarchs' assets and the seizure of their luxury yachts and private jets.
The anonymous worker also detailed to The Times how a superyacht's crew prepared fresh lobster for its wealthy owner every day despite not knowing if he was on board, and how the crew of a yacht dressed in designer clothes that were thrown away by its owner after he wore them once.