Boarding, assaulting, and securing a pirate-occupied ship on the high seas can be a deadly operation—especially when it comes to the pirates of yore, who have been plying their trade much the same way for centuries. Gaining pre-op intel on such villains as Blackbeard, Redbeard, and One-Eyed Willie also represents a special challenge, as does using modern weaponry against their formidable array of cannons, cutlasses, muskets, pistols, and pikes. And let’s not forget the challenge of hitting them where they live, raiding booby-trapped pirate coves. For these reasons and more, war against pirates requires well-trained sailors who can respond to rapidly changing situations.   This exclusive field manual details the essential philosophy and combat skills at the core of our Navy’s ongoing efforts to take out eye-patched, peg-legged, and hooked-hand buccaneers. Distributed to all sailors,U.S. Navy Pirate Combat Skillsincludes illustrations and diagrams throughout. It covers:   Personnel Selection Criteria * Mission Preparation * Pirate Psychological Operations, or PiPsyOps * Pirate Tracking * Booby Traps and Other Pirate Weaponry * Subsurface and Surface Assaults * Daring Airborne Assaults * Crow’s-Nest Parachute Landings * Hand-to-Hook Combat * Underwater Demolitions * Movement on Deck * Pirate Sniper Positions and Techniques * Escaping Pirate Captivity