BFBS Radio Sitrep

Do tanks trump technology? Do missiles matter more than manpower? And can the better thinker beat the stronger fighter?Dr Mike Martin’s new book ‘How To Fight A War’ argues that psychology is the key, and that war is as at least as much a conversation as it is a physical battle.The head of the Army, General Sir Patrick Sanders, has called the book ‘essential reading’. Dr Martin explains his key principles which could decide victory, or defeat, and former soldier James Wharton gives us his thoughts on whether it all stacks up, based on his experiences of fighting in Iraq.

Sitrep looks behind the headlines of a huge leak of top secret US documents, including on suggesting 50 British special forces troops have been on the ground in Ukraine.Professor Michael Clarke will assess the damage from the leaks, and explain the official ‘health warnings’ on what’s been revealed.Ukraine doesn’t just want western fighter jets, it also wants veteran fighter pilots to join its fight. Decorated US Lt Colonel Dan ‘Two Dogs’ Hampton tells us why he wants to sign up.And we assess America’s new military foothold in Asia, because ‘China has scared the living daylights’ out of the Philippines.

Air Marshal Richard Knighton has been named as the new Chief of Air Staff. We talk to one of his predecessors, Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford, about what the job involves, the challenges ahead, and what AM Knighton’s leadership will mean for the men and women of the RAF.The NATO/Russia border has just doubled in length as Finland joins the alliance. Will it be a burden or heavy lifter in NATO, and why is Britain already seen as Finland’s mentor?And Royal Marines have, very quietly, deployed on exercise in South Korea for the first time since the war there. We explain why the country is building up military ties with Britain and Europe.

It’s spring but there’s no sign yet of the ‘spring offensives’ promised by both sides in Ukraine. They are quietly preparing though.Professor Michael Clarke explains the big movements of Russia’s best troops, and some psychological warfare by Kyiv.A senior officer tells fellow servicewomen they must report sex attacks to police. We ask why some are still not coming forward despite an overhaul of investigations.And three years on from Brexit, Britain holds talks about new defence ties with the EU. Is it just about repairing a broken friendship or could it benefit the UK’s Armed Forces? 

Exactly 20 years ago more than 40,000 British troops were deployed on Operation Telic, to invade Iraq in search of weapons of mass destruction which did not exist. The legacy of that invasion is complicated, and Sitrep explains how it’s shaped the British Armed Forces of today.General Lord Dannatt, former Chief of General Staff, tells us how it made us more risk-averse, but developed leadership skills that remain in today’s servicemen and women.Plus decorated bomb disposal operator Chris Hunter tells us why he’s now living in the country where he was shot, and is still working to make it a safer place.

Chris Hunter is a decorated high-threat bomb disposal operator. He had been in Iraq, on operation Telic, for just four days when he was shot in an ambush. Two decades later he lives in the country that nearly claimed his life and works for a charity clearing explosives left by the Islamic State terror group.He tells Kate Gerbeau how he now has friends who may have tried to kill him years ago, what life is like in Iraq 20 years after the invasion, and what motivates him to stay for as long as he can.

The Chancellor has promised another 11 billion pounds for Defence over the next five years, but after soaring inflation and big donations to Ukraine how much extra is left over? Professor of Defence Studies Michael explains what it means for the spending power of Defence, and what it might mean for the future of British Forces as a new masterplan for their size and shape is drawn up.We also take a closer look at the next generation of Royal Navy attack submarines, which will take up more than a quarter of the new cash. Just days after the Ministry of Defence launched its own TikTok channel the Chinese owned app has been banned from government devices. A former army intelligence officer explains the risks.

Ukrainian troops are having to risk their lives, crossing icy waters, to defend small islands used for little more than holiday homes.We hear why these small marshy patches of land are strategically crucial to protecting Ukraine’s biggest gain so far in the war, while Professor Michael Clarke explains the latest developments across the country.The UK’s creating a new Arctic operations base, and Sitrep reporter Briohny Williams tells us exactly what it’s like to be there for training and exercises.Sarah Louise Miller shares the story of thousands of women who overcame huge resistance to become key players in British military intelligence during World War 2.

The World War 2 RAF pilots, dubbed ‘The Few’ by Winston Churchill, could not have achieved all that they did without the support of a huge intelligence operation.But as more and more men had to go to the front, that intelligence work was increasingly taken on by women, despite huge initial resistance and scepticism from military leaders.Sarah Louise Miller tells us their story, researched in new detail for her book ‘The Women Behind The Few’And at an event marking International Women’s Day, some of those veterans have told us what life was like as they laid the groundwork for today’s women to serve in frontline combat. 

The Army’s modernisation masterplan relies on Ajax, a new armoured vehicle that is already 6 years late, and has injured some troops with noise and vibration.As the Defence Secretary says that’s all been solved, Professor Michael Clarke explains why Ajax is so important and we talk to Conservative MP Mark Francois about why he wants to hear from troops involved in the Ajax trials.Also this week – China’s produced a peace plan for the Ukraine war, but what outcome does it really want?And we hear from two RAF Typhoon pilots about what it was like patrolling the skies of Qatar to keep the World Cup safe.