Editing Armed merchantman (section)

== 21st century ==
Despite a rise in [[Piracy#Modern piracy|modern piracy]], up until the early 2010s it was very unusual for modern merchant ships to be armed, save for maybe a number of [[small arms]] and the use of the ship's [[fire hose]]s to repel boarders. One notable exception to this were the ships of [[Pacific Nuclear Transport Limited]],<ref>[http://www.pntl.co.uk/pntl-fleet/ PNTL Fleet] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614053446/http://www.pntl.co.uk/pntl-fleet/ |date=2011-06-14 }}</ref> which are used to transport [[spent nuclear fuel]] and [[reprocessed uranium]] on behalf of [[British Nuclear Fuels Ltd|British Nuclear Fuels Limited]]. Transporting enough [[fissile]] material between them to produce 50–60 nuclear weapons, these ships, beginning with the ''Pacific Pintail'' and ''Pacific Teal'', became armed in 1999 to avoid the cost of a Royal Navy escort.<ref>{{cite news|title=Nuclear fuel ship docks in Japan |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/458551.stm |work= [[BBC]]| date= 27 September 1999 |access-date=2008-08-27 }}</ref> Travelling together in convoy during these ships' intermittent voyages, they have an onboard escort of armed police from the [[UK Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary|UKAEAC]] and its successors<ref>{{cite news |first=Paul |last=Brown|title=Nuclear fuel ships to be armed with heavy guns |url= https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/jan/20/paulbrown |work=[[The Guardian]]|date= 20 January 1999 |access-date=2008-08-27 }}</ref> and are equipped with two or three {{convert|30|mm|in|2|abbr=on}} [[autocannon]]s.<ref>{{cite news|title=UK British nuclear fuel ships armed|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/389545.stm |work= [[BBC]]|date= 8 July 1999|access-date=2008-08-27}}</ref> Another exception were various ships of the Soviet Union's Merchant Marine (MORFLOT) during the Cold War (MORFLOT often operated as an adjunct to Soviet foreign and military policy, both overtly and otherwise).

In 2007, facing a chronic shortage of naval vessels the Cuban Navy placed into service the [[Rio Damuji-class frigate|''Rio Damuji'' class of frigates]], which are large fishing trawlers converted into warships.

In April 2010, it was reported that a Russian company was offering a version of the [[3M-54 Klub]] missile that could be disguised and launched from a shipping container, in theory enabling any cargo ship to be armed with an anti-ship missile. This type of missile was allegedly capable of disabling or even sinking an aircraft carrier, but "it's not known how many of them would have to hit a carrier to knock it out of action, much less sink it."<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htsurf/articles/20100414.aspx | title=Arming Container Ships With Anti-Ship Missiles | date=April 14, 2010 | publisher=StrategyPage}}</ref>

During the [[2011 Libyan civil war]], forces loyal to Gaddafi armed several merchant vessels and attempted to use them to blockade the port of [[Misrata]].

In October 2011, British Prime Minister [[David Cameron]] announced that British merchant shipping passing through areas known for [[piracy]] were permitted to carry firearms.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15510467 | title=Somali piracy: Armed guards to protect UK ships | date=30 October 2011 | publisher=[[BBC News Online]]}}</ref>