India is trying to tackle piracy. It would be a lot cheaper if India let sailors use guns, instead of paying ransoms or turning over shipments.
At least by allowing armed security guards the government recognizes the benefits of self-defense. From
The Hindu newspaper:
In view of the piracy attempts on merchant vessels, the Directorate-General of Shipping will soon issue a notification allowing armed security guards on board Indian merchant vessels . . . Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Nirmal Verma said piracy could be best tackled as a shared security threat and multilateral challenge. He said maritime piracy cost the world economy around $12 billion each year.
© 2012 Newsmax. All rights reserved.