"Recent reports indicate the North Carolina-based firm is building a small but potent flotilla to deliver maritime protection against the increased threat of international piracy.

Pirates were on the wane and marginalized to a select few global waterways only a few years ago," - From link supplied by Charley Noble

Blackwater's ships are certainly not news, they've been operating their "Q" ships for some time without any great deal of success.

As to piracy having been on the wane, I don't know so much about that, it has been steadily on the increase in far eastern waters, in the Gulf of Aden and off Nigeria since the British withdrew from east of Suez in the 1960's.