BFBS Radio Sitrep

It’s the new defence masterplan for the next decade and beyond, but what does the Strategic Defence Review mean for the Armed Forces?The lead military author of the review, General Sir Richard Barrons, joins a special live edition of Sitrep to explain the plan and answer your questions about how it should work.Former Royal Navy Commander Tom Sharpe adds his insights to the discussion with Kate Gerbeau and Professor Michael Clarke.The whole team will break down the big questions including the threats we face, how the job of the Armed Forces could change,  and when the PM’s target of warfighting readiness can be met.

As the Royal Navy unveils HMS Venturer to the public for the first time – we ask, what hope does the first Inspiration Class Frigate offer a surface fleet short on ships and sailors?Sitrep’s reporter David Sivills-McCann has all the answers - he witnessed the new type 31 frigate rolling out of the build hall in Rosyth. The former second sea lord and Babcock chief executive of marine Sir Nick Hine says the Royal Navy will love her.We’ll also look at the German Chancellor's announcement that restrictions are lifted on long range Western weapons supplied to Ukraine – and that his country will help them make their own. It’s been a contentious issue for well over a year now - both before and after ATACMs and Storm Shadows were supplied to Ukraine. Sitrep’s Ukraine reporter Simon Newton tells us how significant this move is.And the story of the secret unit set up in World War 2, to deceive, mis-inform and, on occasion, come up with believable lies. Terry Stiastny's new book examines the people and the tactics used by the Political Warfare Executive whose job it was to broadcast fake news to the occupied countries in World War 2.  

Keir Starmer says it puts Britain back on the world stage.  Some critics claim it could drag Britain into some kind of “EU army”.Sitrep explains what is, and isn’t, included in the new 62-point defence partnership agreement, and what it might mean for our Armed Forces.Amid intense scrutiny of past actions by UK Special Forces, and a former SAS commander’s warning about the “complete absence of a workable legal framework”, how can they be better held to public account while maintaining vital secrecy in their job to keep us safe?And a reshuffle of Britain’s top brass is underway.  Mike talks us through the names in the frame, what they could bring to the jobs, and the challenges they’ll face. 

New satellite images show Russia’s building up its military presence on the border of Finland, as it reorganises and concentrates its military closer to NATO neighbours.But is this preparation for war within years, or trying to maintain “peace through fear”? Mike explains what Russia’s doing with its forces, and Finnish OSINT analyst Emil Kastehelmi tells us what he’s found in the satellite images.Sitrep also talks to the Forces Complaints Ombudsman who tells us why, despite ruling the complaints system still isn’t efficient, effective or fair, she believes servicemen and women can have confidence in it.And former RAF pilot Scottie Bateman reveals some luxury secrets from his flights on the US President’s plane, Air Force One, and just what goes into making this flying fortress.

For 9 years in a row the service complaints system has been deemed to not be efficient, effective or fair by the watchdog that oversees it.But despite that, and some of the high-profile stories of past failures, the Ombudsman says there’s been significant progress and that planned changes can deliver more improvements.Sitrep talks at length to Mariette Hughes about why delays don’t just affect the people who do complain, what still needs to be done, and whether servicemen and women can have confidence in a system which isn’t efficient, effective or fair.

Britain and its allies fought Nazi Germany for a gruelling four and a half years in all, but once allied ground troops landed in Europe, creating the Western Front, they completed the victory in just eleven months.Kate and Mike are joined by Dr Meghan Kellegher from the RAF Museum to explain the strategy which led to victory, and what the allies got wrong as well as right.VE Day wasn’t the end of World War Two.  Military historian Lucy Betteridge-Dyson tells us how thousands of British troops, including her grandfather, still faced months of fierce fighting in Burma, and were still deployed two years later.And after Ukrainian troops joined UK commemorations of VE day, we ask whether the conflicts raging today could become the catalyst for a third global war, and how that risk can be minimised.

Pakistan and India have already fought two wars over disputed Kashmir, now after a terror attack that killed 26 tourists spiralling tensions have brought warnings another war could be imminent.South Asia expert Dr Walter Ladwig tells us why some kind of clash seems inevitable, as Sitrep compares military capabilities and past conflicts to explain who’s most likely to come out on top.The RAF has launched against Houthi militants in Yemen for the first time in nearly a year.  So why now? Professor Michael Clarke explains all.And could AI predict the time and place of the world’s next big conflict? Defence AI expert Anna Knack and former CIA analyst Dr. Nandita Balakrishnan tell us how and when it could become reality.

Former Conservative MP Jack Lopresti joined Ukraine’s foreign legion, in November 2024, to share his insights and experience of procurement and diplomacy.Those skills have become all the more important since the diplomatic earthquakes of Donald Trump’s presidency, including a temporary halt to American weapons, ammunition and intelligence for Ukraine.Mr Lopresti tells Sitrep about the impact on the military fight, the effect on morale, and why he still firmly believes Ukraine is not losing. 

Drones have come of age in Ukraine, ruling the battlefield and overtaking artillery as the leading cause of casualties.Kate and Mike are joined by RAF veteran Dr Keith Dear to explain how small devices once designed for consumers are now not only flying spies, but also lethal weapons that have radically changed the way land battles are fought.Ukrainian drone-experts are reported to be training British troops as part of Operation Interflex.  So what can we learn from their experiences, and can we be sure that drones will still be as relevant in the next war?And the founder of SYOS aerospace, which will supply £30m worth of drones to Ukraine, explains how drone-boat technology is evolving and has helped Ukraine neutralise Russia’s black sea fleet.

The death and destruction in Ukraine has only intensified in the two months since Donald Trump unilaterally announced peace talks, and the one month since Ukraine offered a 30-day ceasefire.With diplomacy having delivered nothing so far Sitrep explains how the war has played out in that time, who has the battlefield momentum, and the potential paths ahead.Equipment is key to Ukraine’s chances but a leaked German assessment says high-end tanks, like the Leopard 2, sometimes cause problems rather than providing capability.Former British tank-commander Hamish de Bretton-Gordon explains why, what lessons the UK should take from this, and which tank he’d want to be in if he were in Ukraine.