BFBS Radio Sitrep

The Service Complaints Ombudsman tells Sitrep that - despite progress - the system for raising and addressing grievances in the military is not efficient, effective, or fair. Sitrep looks at what we know so far about the promised Type 32 Frigate first mentioned by the Prime Minister in the funding settlement statement. And you can hear a special report from Cyprus where Royal Marines are testing new technology and systems.

Sitrep focuses on future Defence priorities and funding with the Armed Forces Minister James Heappey, Labour's Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey, the former Chief of the Defence Staff, Lord Richards and Professor Michael Clarke from RUSI . Plus Hannah King reports on how 'gun bubbles' are helping troops train for a deployment to Estonia.   Follow us @bfbssitrep

Defence is to get a four year funding deal - what should the new money be spent on and how will it reshape the UK's defence policy?  President Trump orders more US troops out of Afghanistan - but what does that mean for the fragile peace process? And how RFA Argus is supporting Hurricane relief efforts. Follow us @bfbssitrep 

What is the future for US-NATO relations under a Joe Biden Presidency?   The mission to rid the Falklands of landmines nearly 40 years after the conflict And we look at the role for defence in Space. Follow us @bfbssitrep

The armed forces helping to carry out rapid coronavirus testing in the government’s first mass pilot... What are the future defence, foreign and security challenges for the winner of the Presidential election in the US?  And how different will Remembrance be this year due to the Covid pandemic?   Follow us @bfbssitrep  

In less than a week, the United States chooses its next President. In this week’s Sitrep, we get the latest on the race for military votes, and ask what four more years of Donald Trump, or a new start under Joe Biden, would mean for the UK, and for Nato. In the week special forces raided an oil tanker in trouble off the Isle of Wight, we ask whether the military could dragged into the ongoing Channel migrant and refugee crisis. We’ll find out how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted Gurkha recruitment, and hear from a former head of GCHQ who says we could all learn a lot by thinking the way spies do. Plus the Speaker of the House of Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, tells us about his own relationship with the military, and why he thinks MPs should spend time with the forces learning how they work.

The future of the Integrated Security and Defence Review.  Why is NATO planning to open a new Space Centre? How will Drone technology change combat? And what impact did GCHQ have in the Falklands War?    Follow us @bfbssitrep

How has Army recruitment been impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic?  Sitrep speaks to the Assistant Director of Army Recruiting. What lies behind North Korea’s decision to showcase its latest missile? The RAF has welcomed the arrival of the first of the P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft to its permanent home at RAF Lossiemouth. And the campaign to honour armed forces personnel from the Caribbean with a new monument at the National Memorial Arboretum   Follow us @bfbssitrep

A new report from the IISS think tank says the Russian armed forces are significantly smaller than their Soviet predecessors, but better equipped with more professional personnel.  We mark thirty years since women were first deployed operationally at sea with the Royal Navy...  And why the Gurkhas are doing ‘wet gap crossing’ training in Northumberland. Follow us @bfbssitrep

The Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nicholas Carter, has set out the 'Integrated Operating Concept' this week. It's been described as the most significant shift in military thinking in generations. What is it and what impact could it have on the armed forces in the future? The new carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, is to join a major NATO exercise from this weekend. We hear from a former Naval commander. What’s the best way to improve NHS services for serving armed forces families and veterans? Follow us @bfbssitrep