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摘要

Drone cargo ships are unlikely to start operating within the coming decade, a study of the technology's impact on the ports and logistics sector found. But the report commissioned by global terminal operator Dubai Ports World said an intermediate step of partly automated ships with much-reduced crews should be expected beforehand. The European Commission's Maritime Unmanned Navigation Through Intelligence in Networks project predicted that drone ships would have a lower risk of foundering and collisions than a conventional vessel. Pirates kidnapped the captain and four crew members of Cyprus-flagged general cargo ship Szafir off Nigeria last week, the Polish foreign ministry confirmed. Shipowner EuroAfrica said armed attackers boarded the vessel about 65km off Nigeria. Eleven crew members locked themselves in the engine room, but the others were abducted, the ministry said. No demands for ransom have emerged. EuroAfrica said the Nigerian navy had responded but it would not release more information that might compromise the captives' safety.