A superyacht captain deployed sonic weapons and ‘pain rays’ to fend off pirates

"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.