Aerial surveillance of pirates as means of ship security

Airborne piracy surveillance for less than the cost of a 40 hp outboard motor on a dinghy! Recent escalations in terrorist piracy have produced a number of sales pitches to address the problem. None to date though have yielded cost effective solutions. A cost effective alternative is now available with the “SeaView” Video Plane.
The “SeaView” video plane is manufactured by Thorpe Seeop Corporation. Thorpe Seeop has a 25 year history of providing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for payloads from 4 pounds to 400 pounds. The SeaView is an adaptation of one of Thorpe Seeop’s planes that launches from a hand held pneumatic launcher. Originally designed for use by forward combat troops, the “SeaView” adaptation is ideally suited to provide the Master with an eye in the sky allowing for early identification of potential terrorist piracy threats.
The IMO has stated, “Early detection of a possible attack may often be the most effective deterrent.”
They further state, “Advance warning of a possible attack will give the opportunity to sound alarms, alert other ships and the coastal authorities, illuminate the suspect craft, undertake evasive manoeuvring or initiate other response procedures. Signs that the ship is aware it is being approached
can deter attackers.” (IMO MSC.1/Circ.1334, 23 June 2009, ANNEX) The “Seaview” is launched from a pneumatically pressurized tube in which a  Seaview” video plane is stored and ready for instantaneous use. Upon launch, the plane’s wings are deployed and then the “Seaview” video plane is controlled by ship personnel like playing a video game. Range depends upon
desired configuration but at a minimum is in the range of 2 to 3 kilometers. Because of its design configuration, the “SeaView” can fly up to 70 knots allowing for use even in windy conditions. The “SeaView is designed to float to allow recovery or optionally can be netted by the ship but priced to be expendable if required due to circumstances.

Source: Seaview