The Geography of Weapons in Pirates Attacks
- Palaemon Maritime
- Feb 5
- 5 min read
Read the full article to understand more about the geography of weapons and violence in piracy attacks.
Piracy, Knives and Firearms
In 2025, weapons were used in 79 piracy incidents (representing half of all reported incidents and the highest since 2021). The incidents mostly involved firearms, used in 53.16% of the cases, followed by knives, whose use is now at a historic low of 41.77%. The trend is concerning, as it represents a step away from low-end, close-contact intimidation toward weapons that enable pirates to halt vessels at a distance, take control of the crew, and the vessel.
Historically, knives used to be the hallmark of piracy; they now serve only for limited opportunistic thefts and a declining fraction of piracy, which is increasingly using more firearms. Firearms, on the other hand, are now characteristically used in incidents where the primary objective is to gain control of the vessel or crew.
Firearms in Modern Piracy
The term “firearms” includes weapons that range in lethality and tactical use. Newspapers and academic sources highlight that attacks in firearm-dominated regions primarily adopt military-style arms rather than handguns. A few examples are:
AK-pattern assault rifles, especially in regions such as Somalia and the Gulf of Guinea. These weapons have major advantages: they have strong fear-inducing and intimidation value, sustained fire capability, and the ability to lock onto targets from a significant distance.
Rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), particularly in Somalia, East Africa, and the Red Sea. They are most often used to disable vessels at range.
Light machine guns, scarcely reported in West Africa. These types of weapons are especially efficient for suppressive fire whilst perpetrators board the vessel. This can effectively reduce the emergency response of personnel onboard and ensure rapid dominance of crews.
Grenades, which are sometimes used as coercive tools rather than deployed, to strengthen the credibility of the perpetrator.
These weapons fundamentally change engagement dynamics. By adopting military-style equipment, pirates can attack vessels farther offshore, prevent evasive maneuvers, and exert psychological control over crews. Besides that, access to firearms highlights a degree of organizational depth, rather than opportunistically driven behaviour, within the criminal organization, as well as the capacity to access black arms markets.
Analysis of the Contemporary Maritime Piracy Database (CMPD), shows that pirates have not only increased their armament, but also that there has been a large increase in pirates armed with the automatic weapons and explosives outlined above.
The actual firing of these arms, as an effective means to intimidate targets, remains another question. Historically, firing weapons was rare in piracy attacks until 2006. However, piracy has seen a vast increase in the firing of weapons as the result of more piracy attacks targeting vessels in motion, as these methods are used to slow the ship. Though this trend seems to be driven by developments of Somali piracy, as they have accounted for over half of live firings in the past.
Knives and Edged Weapons
Knife use has declined, but it is still present in Bangladesh, Colombia, Indonesia, Angola, and Mozambique, where perpetrators almost exclusively relied on knives in 2025. These are typically short blades or edged weapons, used in close quarters, usually during boardings at anchor or alongside vessels.
Knife-based attacks are usually characterized by:
Small numbers of attackers
Short duration of the event
Theft of stores, parts, or personal items
Limited or no physical harm inflicted on crew members
This pattern suggests a link between weapons and violence. Knives place restrictions on pirates, as they must operate in close quarters, act rapidly, and avoid escalation if they do not want to put themselves in danger. Regions with exclusive knife use usually report very limited physical violence against crew members.
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Weapon Type and Violence
The correlation between weapon type and violence against crews is quite striking.
Somalia and São Tomé & Príncipe, where perpetrators primarily use firearms, showcase higher levels of violence and aggression, with recurring kidnappings and hostage-taking. These practices are only made possible by the coercive power of automatic firearms.
Conversely, countries where knife rates are higher, such as Colombia, Angola, and Mozambique, showed limited physical violence against crew members. Threats were reported, but the lack of firearms or more “effective” equipment makes it difficult for perpetrators to threaten, kidnap, and enforce more systemic violence.
Overall, the type of weapon used by pirates determines the scope of the operation they can mount. The ability to launch attacks from a distance, operate offshore, and control vessels and crew for a prolonged period of time is made possible by the use of automatic rifles and RPGs, whilst knives have a more limited coercive capability.
Not only the increasing number of piracy attacks, but also their increasing capabilities and the introduction of firearms are concerns that cannot be underestimated. The decrease in knife usage and the increase in firearms in piracy attacks may imply a more evolved coercive capability than in past years, increasing the threat to seafarers.
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