There are a number of systems out there designed to keep pirates from boarding ships, incorporating everything from lasers to acoustic devices to writhing water hoses. However, what happens if the pirates get on board anyway? If the ship is equipped with the Marine Armor System, a series of ballistic blinds will roll down throughout the vessel, blocking access to its interior.
The blinds sit rolled up in receptacles when not needed, located above the ship's various doorways, hatches and windows. When a pirate-boarding is imminent, however, the press of a single centrally-located button will cause them to all roll down within 10 seconds.
The pry-resistant blinds are made from a proprietary alloy known as Kriptonia, which is claimed to be stronger than steel. Depending on what they're being used to secure, different levels of ballistic protection can be selected.
The Kriptonia Basic blinds, for instance, have a ballistic classification of FB1. This means that they can withstand shots from a .22-caliber handgun, so they would be useful as an economic means of protecting cargo or machinery, but not crew members. At the other end of the spectrum, though, the Kriptonia 100 blinds are rated at FB6, meaning that they block shots from heavy military weapons – these are what would be used to keep the crew safe.
For dealing with things like rocket-propelled grenades and thermal lances, there are versions that combine the Kriptonia 100 blinds with a high-strength steel mesh, or that incorporate two layers of blinds.
Along with its use on cargo vessels and tankers, the Marine Armor System is also aimed at offshore platforms such as oil rigs. A version for luxury yachts is additionally in the works.
You can see the blinds in use, in the video below.
Source: Marine Armor System
