BFBS Radio Sitrep

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.

Ukrainian journalist Maryana Drach tells Sitrep her experiences of living through a year of war in her country.The loss of her friend and colleague, Vira Hyrych, in a missile strike on an apartment block, witnessing destruction in her home city, and her team’s drive to expose atrocities.She also tells us about the latest assessments of public opinion in Ukraine, her thoughts on how the war may end, and why she believes Ukrainians are maintaining their resolve. Maryana Drach is Director of the Ukrainian service at Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.  

12 months on from Russia’s full scale invasion Sitrep assesses how Ukraine defied predictions that it would lose in days – and instead pushed back Moscow’s forces.Three experienced British military minds explain who’s got what right, and wrong, and the lessons the UK should learn from all this. Daily Telegraph correspondent Colin Freeman tells us what the battlefield picture looks like going into year two, as Ukrainian forces face ‘zombie waves’ of Russian troops.And Ukrainian journalist Maryana Drach shares personal testimony of her country’s losses, alongside the resolve of its people.

After three more mystery objects were found flying over North America and shot down, the Defence Secretary has ordered a security review of British Airspace.Have they already flown over us, and have we been looking for them? Sitrep asks a former RAF Operations Commander. Hundreds of British troops are helping to defend Estonia, a country that has sent its entire Howitzer artillery stock to Ukraine. We hear from soldiers on exercise and Estonia’s Defence Minister.Plus we explain whether Russia has begun its new offensive, and examine how long NATO nations can keep supplying vital military aid to Ukraine.

Servicemen and women, along with veterans, are often called heroes – it’s well intentioned, but is that label helpful or harmful.Sitrep talks to a US psychologist who says it could drive veterans towards lower paid ‘selfless’ jobs, a leading military psychiatrist and a founder of the charity Help for Heroes.The UK is promising to train Ukrainian fighter pilots, but says it can’t send fighter jets any time soon, so is there any point in the training and can the UK actually deliver it?And the Chinese ‘spy’ balloon that has been shot down by the US Air Force might seem like ancient technology, but we explain why the UK is one of the countries looking at balloons as part of the military future.

The Defence Secretary says his own party has ‘hollowed out’ the forces while in government, but one of his fellow ministers says that’s ‘patently untrue’.Sitrep assesses if this is this a civil-war in the cabinet over Defence spending, and if so why?The Defence Secretary says Labour shares the blame for hollowing out, we talk to the Shadow Armed Forces Minister.Buying Russian missiles, skirmishes with Greece, and now threatening to keep Sweden out of NATO – we ask if Turkey’s a truly committed ally.And Sitrep’s Simon Newton tells us what life is like onboard a US Destroyer patrolling the Mediterranean.

As the Taliban continue to prevent women and some girls from working or having an education an all party group has been established in Westminster to monitor the situation.Sitrep also talks to a former female politician who fled the country and the wife of a former CDS who started an education charity in the country.More tanks are being sent to Ukraine but will they make a difference and how will Russia respond?And we talk to the film maker given the run of HMS Queen Elizabeth

After her husband and future Chief of the Defence Staff Lord Richards deployed to Afghanistan Lady Caroline Richards wanted to do something to improve the lives of children in the country so she set up a charity.Shukria Barakzai is a former Member of the Afghan Parliament who fled the country when the Taliban took back control.And an All Party Parliamentary Group for Afghan Women and Girls was launched in the UK at the end of November. Colonel Rosie Stone is part of the Secretariat for the Group. In a special edition of Sitrep Kate Gerbeau speaks to all three women about the challenges facing Afghanistan’s female population.

As the UK sends tanks and artillery guns to Ukraine the head of the Army has conceded it will temporarily weaken the service.That’s on top of Army cuts announced in 2021, which are now being reviewed.Sitrep talks to two former officers to assess what rebuilding the Army needs, and how it can be done.NATO’s top military commander has declared “hard power is a reality” – but who was his message aimed at?And we look at a British-designed 3D-printed bionic hand that could help hundreds of injured Ukrainian troops.

British troops could be deployed to Japan – and Japanese troops to the UK – under an historic treaty that’s just been signed at the Tower of LondonOn Sitrep a former Japanese Foreign Minister explains why her country has turned to the UK to bolster its defence position.After a year of appeals, western tanks could soon be headed to Ukraine, led by British Challenger 2s. A former tank regiment commander tells us what the vehicles can do in a war. And we hear how a Royal Marines mindset can help with that ‘new year, new me’ plan, from someone who turned round the performance of the England men’s football team.