St Helena’s cherished lifeline ship to return as anti-piracy armoury
The RMS St Helena, Britain’s last working postal ship, was, for nearly three decades, the main source of contact between one of humanity’s remotest islands and the outside world. Now the ship, cherished by the 4,500 residents of British-ruled St Helena, will start a new life as a floating armoury, packed with automatic weapons, bullet-proof jackets and night-vision goggles, all stored for maritime security operatives. Renamed the MNG Tahiti, the 340-foot (103m) ship will undergo some tweaks before sailing to the Gulf of Oman where it will be used to ferry guns and guards to passing vessels navigating stretches of water lurking with pirates, its new operator said on Tuesday. "The ship is good to go with a few adjustments," said Mark Gray, a former British Royal Marine and founder of floating armoury firm MNG Maritime. "By the middle of the year we hope to have her operating." Tahiti Shipping, a subsidiary of MNG Maritime, bought the ship for an undisclosed fee on Tuesday, the St Hele...
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