1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:00,560 Speaker 1: To the UK. 2 00:00:00,680 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 2: We go, Devin Gray, Good morning, hither Andrew. So, there's 3 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:08,400 Speaker 2: been allegations that Russians have put sensors all around Great 4 00:00:08,480 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 2: Britain in an attempt to track UK nuclear submarines. Now, 5 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 2: what can you tell me about this story? 6 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:16,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, so this was a story out of the Sunday 7 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 1: Times in which it was reported that British military discovered 8 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 1: the existence of these devices and deemed them a potential 9 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 1: threat to national security. It is believed that if these 10 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 1: story is correct, these devices have been planted by Moscow 11 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 1: in order to try to gather intelligence on the UK's 12 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:40,520 Speaker 1: nuclear defense or nuclear capabilities. They are based on four 13 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:45,600 Speaker 1: Vanguard submarines which carry these nuclear missiles. Now, if this 14 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:47,840 Speaker 1: is true, then of course it would be deeply worrying 15 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: if somebody knows precisely where they are. The devices have 16 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:56,280 Speaker 1: been characterized, incidentally, that effectively they could well be part 17 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: of what's called a hybrid or gray zone war that 18 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,920 Speaker 1: Vladimir Putin might be plotting, in other words, doing damage 19 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 1: to infrastructure assets as well, like energy pipelines could be 20 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:10,240 Speaker 1: being mapped. So in an interview with the Russian ambassador 21 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:13,319 Speaker 1: to the UK today, he was asked straight out, has 22 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 1: this been happening? Have you been tracking British submarines And 23 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:19,280 Speaker 1: he said, well, I'm not going to deny it, but 24 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 1: I wonder they really have an interest in following the 25 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 1: British submarines because they're very old, outdated nuclear warheads and 26 00:01:27,040 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 1: these threats are extremely exaggerated, and then said, Russia poses 27 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:34,039 Speaker 1: no threat to the UK. Well, I'm afraid at the 28 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:38,800 Speaker 1: moment that isn't the UK's assessment of the relationship with Russia. 29 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 2: All Right, to Scotland we go and they're having a 30 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:43,040 Speaker 2: fery fiesco much like New Zealand. 31 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 1: I gather that you two have had this perhaps the 32 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:50,680 Speaker 1: same people have been advising one another. This is about 33 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 1: the daily journey on a ferry from the mainland of 34 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 1: Scotland mainland of the UK to the Isle of Aaron. Now, 35 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:02,800 Speaker 1: believe it or not, these ferries were replacing a thirty 36 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 1: year old service, a thirty year old ferry that was 37 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:10,639 Speaker 1: really getting out of date and becoming unreliable. So they 38 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 1: ordered them and they were supposed to come into service 39 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 1: in twenty seventeen. Only one has so far come into service, 40 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:19,840 Speaker 1: in other words, seven years late. The other still isn't ready. 41 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 1: The original cost was two hundred million New Zealand dollars, 42 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:26,880 Speaker 1: it's now eight hundred million New Zealand dollars. And wait 43 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:29,800 Speaker 1: for it, they're too big to fit in the port 44 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 1: that they were supposed to dock at on the island. 45 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:35,800 Speaker 1: You couldn't make it up if you tried. In the meantime, 46 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 1: it looks like they're going to divert the services to 47 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:41,360 Speaker 1: the coastal town or Truon, famous for golf. But guess 48 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 1: what it now looks like. The Scottish government, in one 49 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:47,799 Speaker 1: of the biggest mismanagements ever I think, is now thinking 50 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: it might buy the original port that is too small 51 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:54,640 Speaker 1: for the boats and upgraded with a rough one hundred 52 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:58,680 Speaker 1: and seventy million pound investment. Honestly, Andrew, you couldn't. 53 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:00,959 Speaker 2: Make it up, Yes you can't. Exactly the same as here. 54 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:04,240 Speaker 2: We bought two fairies that were too big. We couldn't 55 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:08,520 Speaker 2: afford to do the port work and yeah, you can 56 00:03:08,600 --> 00:03:10,280 Speaker 2: write it, David, and I thank you so much. Gavin 57 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 2: Gray out of the UK. 58 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 1: For more from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, listen live 59 00:03:15,280 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 1: to News Talks it Be from five am weekdays, or 60 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:20,200 Speaker 1: follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.