Could renewed piracy bring armored merchant ships or private military crews back to sea?
Short answerMerchant ships already embark specialist security personnel in some circumstances, although this is not the same as turning them into armored warships.
NotesShipboard security is already an established response rather than a purely future possibility. Commercial vessels can carry specialist teams to deter or defeat pirate attacks. The industry supplies a broader security service rather than merely placing weapons aboard. The need to protect trade continues even though the legal and technical arrangements have changed.