Introducing: Bear Hunt

Al Murray (0:02)

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SPEAKER_2 (0:25)

This series contains strong language and violence.

SPEAKER_3 (0:30)

It is fiction.

SPEAKER_4 (0:32)

Resemblance to reality is coincidental.

SPEAKER_5 (0:36)

This is Bear Hunt.

SPEAKER_4 (1:27)

The Great Gain is called.

East India Company coined it, But Kipling, many others, all used it. Great game. Strategic struggle between Britain and Russia. Two centuries long. Still going, clearly. Only, it isn't much of a game if one player is turning away from the board, eh, Alex?

Give your old pal, Pilgrim, a call.

SPEAKER_2 (2:07)

Over the North Sea. And this year, 2025 is no different, Prime Minister. At 2111 hours, the Captain and First Officer believe the plane to be on course, 225 degree true. ATC confirm and get the same data, but their altitude readings are differing with the cockpit readings.

At 2111, if both parties understood that reality, that's not a problem.

SPEAKER_6 (2:29)

Because this can happen and does.

SPEAKER_2 (2:31)

Does happen, that's right, Prime Minister. Not typically on the North Sea, though.

Now, we have from this point at 2111, the...

SPEAKER_7 (2:43)

Prime Minister, can we grab you for a second?

SPEAKER_6 (2:46)

Yeah, of course, Asra. Has Henry got a speech? Can I have this written up, please?

SPEAKER_5 (2:50)

Of course, Chris.

SPEAKER_8 (2:51)

Yeah, thank you.

SPEAKER_6 (2:52)

Fran wants to get on top of it, because there's reports saying it was a near empty flight, and that's just...

SPEAKER_5 (2:58)

not...

SPEAKER_6 (3:00)

What is it?

SPEAKER_8 (3:02)

Cobra.

SPEAKER_2 (3:04)

Right.

SPEAKER_8 (3:06)

It's from Royal Navy ISR vessel, correlated with RAF rivet joint tasking. This vessel was in the North Sea, and these are the abnormally strong L1, L2 signals it picked up at 2,100 hours.

SPEAKER_6 (3:20)

Right. Phil, can you hear...

SPEAKER_2 (3:24)

Did you get that?

SPEAKER_5 (3:25)

Yeah.

SPEAKER_6 (3:26)

What's Anthony saying? We're talking a signal consistent with...

SPEAKER_5 (3:30)

GPS disturbance. Disturbance.

SPEAKER_8 (3:34)

Deliberate, do we think, Phil?

SPEAKER_5 (3:38)

Yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_8 (3:40)

Yes. It's deliberate, likely deliberate.

SPEAKER_5 (3:44)

Deliberate GNSS interference consistent with spoofing. Yeah. From a vessel in the area.

SPEAKER_6 (3:51)

NATO?

SPEAKER_5 (3:53)

We assess Prime Minister with high confidence it was Russian.

SPEAKER_6 (4:04)

There was the, someone said it earlier, the oil rig.

SPEAKER_5 (4:10)

Yes, Prime Minister, it had incorrect coordinates, same patch of the Central North Sea we're talking about here.

SPEAKER_6 (4:17)

Just sort of zooming out for a moment. It's a general activity that they were doing.

SPEAKER_5 (4:26)

Spoofed all GPS readings, yes, a part of their gray zone warfare strategy.

SPEAKER_6 (4:33)

Gray zone warfare. Right.

So this GPS spoofing.

SPEAKER_5 (4:40)

It got the, no, no, sorry.

SPEAKER_6 (4:42)

No, no, go on.

SPEAKER_5 (4:44)

Yeah, that activity, yes, that got VA 236

SPEAKER_6 (4:52)

Keep me updated on the search.

SPEAKER_7 (4:54)

Prime Minister.

SPEAKER_2 (5:02)

Afghanistan, 15 years earlier.

SPEAKER_7 (5:07)

Situation right now in the year of our Lord, 2010 Turns out turning poppy fields to coffee plantations here in Helmand is pretty fucking hostile work.

Someone decided that since we can't buy Terry out, we're going to dig him out and sow some fucking peas. Lots of fucking democracy. Have some of that, Terry. And do things the American way.

Kuwait, Moshtarak, which commenced a few months back, February 2010, I think, is part of the new war model. Five months on, part of the new war model. Americans want a clean up job before we deliver police, engineers and government in a box.

SPEAKER_8 (5:54)

And today's clean up is to run a link up with a sniper element, is that right?

SPEAKER_7 (5:58)

Ooh, do you want to take this brief, necky cunt? I'll finish fucking talking, shall I?

SPEAKER_6 (6:05)

Course.

SPEAKER_7 (6:07)

Course?

SPEAKER_6 (6:08)

Yes, of course, Lance Corporal Wade, sir.

SPEAKER_7 (6:16)

Robertson, is it, yeah?

SPEAKER_8 (6:18)

Is, yeah.

SPEAKER_7 (6:19)

Go one click north, yeah? Fuck off, as fast as you can, to Sierra Papa Romeo 3984070 and link up with Duffy.

SPEAKER_6 (6:31)

Duffy?

SPEAKER_7 (6:33)

Corporal Tom McDuff.

SPEAKER_8 (6:35)

Thank you, Lance Corporal.

SPEAKER_2 (6:37)

Er, what's needed for him?

SPEAKER_7 (6:40)

He's been there a pretty decent amount of time. Pissed when he'd throw in.

Maybe he's got a dump in there for you and all.

SPEAKER_8 (6:50)

Understood.

SPEAKER_7 (6:52)

That's the thrill of this job, Robertson, mate. You never know. Could be piss, could be dump, could be spunk, eh? Hey, and if you drink all that, you'll get a mention in debrief. Fucking hero, you.