Samsung Heavy Industries announced Sunday that it has developed a high-tech anti-pirate system providing enhanced security for ships sailing through danger zones.

The system includes remotely controlled water cannons, night vision and an advanced radar system.

The shipbuilder said the system will be fitted as standard equipment in all ships built at its yard in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province.

The new system’s water cannons can be controlled from the inside, removing the need to expose the crew manning water cannons to gun fire from pirates, according to the company.

While water cannons have been a part of ships’ defenses, such devices until now had to be manned by crew members on deck, exposing them to gun fire.

Samsung Heavy’s water cannons have a range of 70 meters, and are able to shoot streams of water at pressure of up to 10 bar, which can deal significant impact to pirate vessels in ranges of up to 50 meters.

The system is able to pick out vessels that are likely to be pirates using the speed, direction and distance of vessels within a 10 kilometer radius of the ship.

A company spokesman said the system’s night vision equipment can provide video images of other vessels, and track their movement using infrared rays.

(cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)