Britney Spears songs played to scare off Somali pirates

Somali pirates are crying "Gimme Less" over the merchant navy's latest secret weapon — Britney Spears.

Metro reports that the pop star's hits "Oops! I Did It Again" and "Baby One More Time" are being used to scare off Somali pirates threatening to attack merchant navy ships off the east coast of Africa.

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“These guys can’t stand Western culture or music, making Britney’s hits perfect," officer Rachel Owens said.

The songs are blasted at extremely high levels, with the speakers aimed squarely at the pirates so as not to disturb the crew, according to The Mirror.

"It’s so effective the ship’s security rarely needs to resort to firing guns," said Owen, a 34-year-old second officer from Scotland.

"As soon as the pirates get a blast of Britney, they move on as quickly as they can."

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According to The Atlantic, the pirates are likely less scared by Spears herself and more by the volume her music is played.

Long Range Acoustic Device systems have been used to quell riots and deter pirates in the past, blasting "a wall of sound which bring people to their knees," according to The Atlantic.