BFBS Radio Sitrep

For the second time in a row a Royal Navy test firing of an unarmed Trident missile has ended in failure.The government says it was an “anomaly” and that it has “absolute confidence” in the nuclear deterrent, but it hasn’t explained why the missile failed.It’s called the ultimate insurance policy, but can it still deter Russia after two very public failures?Professor Michael Clarke explains what could have gone wrong, why the government insists we can have confidence, and whether it’s just an embarrassment or a serious worry.

Donald Trump’s talk of telling President Putin to “do whatever the hell he wants” to NATO allies who “don’t pay” has been called unhinged, but he could be President again.So Sitrep examines if Europe could defend itself against Russia without American support, if it really came to that.  Professor Michael Clarke and Simon Newton explain how European military capability compares to Russia’s and former NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller gives an alliance insider's view.Also on Sitrep we’re at Marchwood sea loading centre as hundreds of British military vehicles head to NATO’s biggest exercise in decades.And the former climate-change champion for defence, Lieutenant General Richard Nugee, talks us through the practicalities of getting militaries to do more for the environment.

Sitrep gets unprecedented access to the heart of the UK’s military spying operation. Sian Grzeszczyk tells all, including the crashed Russian drones being disassembled by Defence Intelligence, how its analysts uncovered an arms-for-horses deal between Moscow and North Korea, and why it really does all look like a James Bond lair.As MP’s say we must choose between more money for the forces or limiting their workload, former National Security Adviser Lord Ricketts tells Sitrep training foreign forces and Cyprus peacekeeping could be cut to concentrate on better warfighting capability. And we meet Turbo, the RAF’s new Typhoon display pilot, to talk negative-G, slow passes, and wowing the crowds.

Boris Johnson has called for the UK to bring back National Service. Sweden did just that seven years ago to solve its military recruitment crisis, and Germany’s looking at the idea.Sitrep talks to Swedish defence expert Elisabeth Braw and former Welsh Guards officer Nicholas Drummond about whether it’s the answer for the UK’s depleted Armed Forces.Iran’s ‘axis of resistance’ has carried out regular strikes against US forces in the middle east for months now. Sitrep explains who these militias are, and why Iran is helping them.And as President Putin visits the small isolated Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, Mark Galeotti explains why some think it could be the place where war with NATO begins. 

Strategic command, like the three single services, is deemed important enough to our defence to merit its own Chief of Staff.General Sir James Hockenhull tells Sitrep about the organisation that he leads and its mission to help the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force be the best they can be.From medical services to digital networks, cyber to intelligence, Strategic Command provides joint capabilities for all of the services, and is also tasked with developing new ones.General Hockenhull talks to Sian Grzeszczyk about briefing the Prime Minister at the moment war began in Ukraine, why he sees himself as an accidental general, and why he chose not to apply for the very top job in Britain’s armed forces.

Tens of thousands of people around the world have seen the moment one Royal Navy minehunter reversed into another in Bahrain, doing millions of pounds worth of damage.Former Royal Navy Commodore Alistair Halliday talks us through the range of technical and human factors which could explain why HMS Chiddingfold went backwards instead of ahead.The Chief of General Staff wants the UK to train up a “citizen army” to be ready for war. Mike explains why this doesn’t have to mean conscription, and former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith gives us his reaction.And are killer robots an inevitability in the future of war? Someone who’s helped shape UK policy on autonomous weapons tells us why he’s written a novel to warn about the risks of science-fiction becoming lethal-fact.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith has been a Conservative MP for more than 30 years, and led his party from 2001 to 2003.In parliament he’s a vocal contributor on defence, security, and international issues. His criticism of China’s government is so vocal the country has placed sanctions against him and his family.He tells Sitrep why he believes China is a threat to the UK, not just a ‘challenge’ as it is officially deemed, how his military service shaped his political ambitions, and whether he’d join the “too small” armed forces of today.

The Defence Secretary warns of tough times ahead...we look at those warnings but also hear from another of Britain’s most senior military chiefs who has a more hopeful message. The Head of Stratcom rarely speaks to the media, but we hear his take on the state of the world.Also on Sitrep Is diplomacy still a thing? Does it achieve anything? We speak to a former Army Officer who’s worked as a defence attaché representing the UK in 25 countries.And what do the Houthis actually have in their arsenal?....plenty, according to an expert on the group that’s still causing chaos in the Red Sea. 

The First Sea Lord has been asked for a plan to “take forward” the work of the Royal Marines, as ministers effectively confirm they’re again reconsidering the future of the corps’ two amphibious assault ships.Professor Michael Clarke explains what’s going on, and former Royal Marines Commandant General, Major General Buster Howes, tells Sitrep the Defence Secretary needs to think “very very carefully”.The Defence Secretary tells the world “watch this space” for possible reprisal strikes against Houthis firing missiles at the Red Sea. British Sailors are already on constant watch there, and former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe explains what they experience when missiles and drones are incoming.And how do you learn to command a multi-million pound military craft in an environment less explored than space? Ryan Ramsay who used to lead the Royal Navy’s submarine command course shares stories of near misses, pushing people beyond their limits, and how he’s turned it all into life lessons for a new book.

Under the sea, in charge of a multi-million pound boat, and the safety of your crew, there is a lot that can go very wrong.Ryan Ramsay has lived it all, then trained his successors both in how to avoid those disasters, and to cope if they do strike.In his new book ‘A View From Below’ he shares the inside story how submarine captains are trained, the impossible scenarios they’re faced with in a real sub, and stories of simulated emergency suddenly becoming the real thing.He tells Kate Gerbeau why he turned those experiences into life-lessons that we can all use, what he learned from his most perilous moment in command of HMS Turbulent, and whether any of it helps him on the football pitch while refereeing.