BFBS Radio Sitrep

Russia is planning a new naval base in territory it occupies on Georgia’s Black Sea coast, because of Ukraine’s strikes against Russian ships near Crimea.Sitrep hears from the Georgian capital about worries it could make their country a target for Ukraine.Professor Michael Clarke and Simon Newton share their assessments, and examine how we can improve ammunition supplies to Ukrainian forces who are having to weigh individual artillery shells at the front line, because ‘standard’ doesn’t mean quite what you think.And we explain why a new study says training for servicemen and women needs to be less industrial, and more democratic.

Israel’s mission to destroy Hamas has some parallels with the battle to liberate Mosul from the Islamic State terror group – tens of thousands of fighters among a densely packed population of around two-million citizens.Major General Rupert Jones, who was deputy commander of the anti-IS coalition, shares the lessons from Mosul, and Professor Michael Clarke assesses how they do, or don’t, apply in Gaza.The RAF’s next generation of drone, Protector, has arrived in Britain for the first time. We’ll explain what it can do.And as Robert Courts MP becomes the new chair of the Commons Defence Committee, we ask one of his predecessors whether the group can make a difference, or are just a talking shop. 

British ships, planes, and personnel have been sent to Mediterranean, tasked with waiting and watching as war rages between Israel and Gaza. Professor Michael Clarke explains how they could be used, to stop weapons smuggling and gather intelligence, with the aim of preventing a wildfire spread of the conflict.Sitrep hears first-hand about the challenges facing Ukraine’s troops as they continue to fight back against Russia, including how some artillery commanders are now limited to just five shells per week.And General David Petraeus, arguably the most significant military commander of the 21st century so far, shares some very personal lessons on the evolution of warfare.

General David Petraeus commanded multinational forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, wrote America’s handbook on counter-insurgency, and went on to lead the CIA.Now he wants to help those who follow him learn the lessons of the wars he fought, and many others since World War Two.General Petraeus and acclaimed military historian Andrew Roberts tell Kate Gerbeau how the outbreak of war in Ukraine spurred them to combine their disciplines for a fresh look at how we got here, and why.In their book ‘Conflict – The evolution of warfare from 1945 to Ukraine’ General Petraeus shares personal accounts from Iraq and Afghanistan, and we learn lessons including how a tactic deployed with devastating effect by Israel’s enemies failed spectacularly for Russia.

Israel declared war because of a Hamas terrorist atrocity, invading from Gaza, killing more than a thousand people, and seizing more than 150 hostages.But what was Hamas hoping to achieve? Is Israel doing exactly what its enemy wants by launching a war, and did it have any other choice?Professor Michael Clarke and former senior intelligence officer Colonel Philip Ingram address the big military questions of this war.Another gas pipeline under the Baltic sea has been damaged by an apparent explosion, but what can NATO do about it?And how the Trinity system could soon be providing British forces with ‘battlefield broadband’, for data driven warfare.

Iron Titan is the Army’s largest land exercise in more than 20 years, involving 8000 troops across more than 40,000 square miles of South-West England and Wales.Sitrep hears from some of those taking part, and Forces News reporter Rosie Laydon explains how its using the lessons of Ukraine to test the deployment of the UK’s warfighting division.Violence, and a Serbian troop buildup, have prompted the deployment of 200 British soldiers to Kosovo as extra peacekeepers. Major General Chip Chapman explains their role, and the risks.And thousands of new quieter and lighter assault rifles have been ordered for British troops, we explain how it will be different for those who get it.

Ukraine has punched a new hole through Russia’s minefields, ditches, and ‘dragons teeth’ in Western Zaporizhzhia, but is it enough to start taking back big swathes of land?Professor Michael Clarke explains why this is halfway to being a turning point, and Forces News reporter Simon Newton explains what obstacles are still in the way of Ukraine’s tanks.British Army Veteran Shaun Pinner made headlines around the world when he was captured in Ukraine and sentenced to death by Russia. He tells us why he was never a ‘war tourist’, how decades-old training helped him survive, and about the moment he met his unlikely saviour. Three veterans of Britain’s nuclear test programme, now entitled to a new medal, share their experiences of being guinea-pigs for the UK’s race to become an atomic power.

When Shaun Pinner left the Royal Anglian Regiment, after 9 years as a soldier, he had no intention of ever returning to military life.Two decades later he was fighting in Ukraine as one of the country’s marines, besieged in the city of Mariupol as it was battered and starved by Russian forces.When he was captured Shaun was beaten, tortured and eventually sentenced to death by firing squad. Yet he is now a free man, and living in Ukraine.He tells Kate Gerbeau the incredible story of how he ended up there (via waste management and volunteering in Syria), why he was never a ‘war tourist’, and the surreal moment when he met his unlikely saviour on a luxury jet.

The Army’s about to test software which, with the help of tiny drones, can give soldiers a 3D model of their battlefield on a phone or tablet in minutes.The ‘Farsight’ system eliminates the need for network connections, big servers, and long waits. A former US special operations commander who’s helped develop the software tells us what it will mean to troops on the ground.Russia expert Emily Ferris explains how Moscow’s technology compares, and how military call ups have created a ‘brain-drain’.And the NHS says three-quarters of its hospital trusts are now ‘veteran aware’. Two pioneers of the scheme tell us what it should mean for the care of those who have served their country.

This week Sitrep focuses on how the British military and defence industry are learning lessons from the war in Ukraine. Rear Admiral Andrew Betton, Director Joint Warfare at UK Strategic Command, says the way warfare has evolved in Ukraine is a wake-up call.Sitrep also explores how the defence industry is responding to the conflict in terms of new weapons and equipment.Plus General Lord Dannatt, the former head of the army, tells us failing to learn the lessons of history left Britain behind at the outbreak of the second world war.