Naval Officers Are Using Britney Spears Songs To Scare Off Somali Pirates

Naval officers have been going to extreme lengths.

Turns out Britney has uses that reach far further than those of your average pop star.

Getty / Jason Merritt

Ships in the region are in regular danger from pirates boarding and kidnapping crews for multi-million-pound ransoms. A novel defense system has come about, blasting out "...Baby One More Time" and "Oops... I Did It Again" at extreme volumes. Second officer Rachel Owens told Metro, “Her songs were chosen by the security team because they thought the pirates would hate them most. These guys can’t stand Western culture or music, making Britney’s hits perfect.”

Britney should maybe not feel too disheartened.

Getty / Jason Merritt

According to the Atlantic Wire, it is the volume and frequency the music is played at that is scaring the pirates off. Long Range Acoustic Device defense systems have been in use for some time, blasting walls of sound that can bring people to their knees.

Still, there are lengths to which people will not go.

Steven Jones of the Security Association for the Maritime Industry joked, "I'd imagine using Justin Bieber would be against the Geneva Convention."

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