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BFBS Sitrep

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Award winning Defence podcast from BFBS.

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  • 27 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 45 min
  • English

Episodes 27

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  • S1 · E193
    May 21 · 53 min

    Sitrep Live: “You’re either very stupid or very brave” – reflections on serving in Iraq

    <p>From invasion, through stabilisation and counter-insurgency to training Iraqi forces, Operation Telic involved more than 135,000 British servicemen and women from 2003 to 2011</p><p>Fifteen years since the last troops left Sitrep talks to three veterans of Iraq to reflect on the jobs they did, the sacrifices made, and how the legacy looks today with more distance and time.</p><p>In a special edition from the National Memorial Arboretum James Wharton, Duane Gardner, and Kevin Robinson share th

  • S1 · E192
    May 14 · 48 min

    British warships head to the Arctic and Middle East

    <p>The Royal Navy, already thinly stretched, is now sending HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Duncan to the High North, while HMS Dragon heads in the other direction to loiter for a possible mission in the Strait of Hormuz.&nbsp;</p><p>Both high profile deployments come with some big questions.&nbsp;</p><p>Is an aircraft carrier the best way to deter Russian submarines? And if Dragon is waiting for an end to fighting between the US and Iran, what job for it to do there?&nbsp;</p><p>Retired Commodore S

  • May 7 · 41 min

    Ukrainian drones learn from 4 years of war

    <p>Ukraine has amassed so much battlefield footage from drones that it would take more than 200 years to watch. Now it’s using that footage, with machine learning, to teach drones to become more lethal.</p><p>Simon Newton explains how the country has made breakthroughs that allow the devices to identify not only potential targets, but also their most vulnerable spots.</p><p>The work could also have benefits for the UK with talk that massive pool of training data could be shared with allies.</p>

  • S1 · E190
    May 7 · 22 min

    EXTRA - “Security Through Cooperation”

    <p>Across three decades Rose Gottemoeller has had a ringside seat at key moments in the changing relationship between Russia, the US, and allies like the UK.</p><p>As a former Deputy Secretary General of NATO and U.S. Undersecretary of State she’s seen the highs, as well as the lows.</p><p>Rose talks to Kate Gerbeau about those experiences, and the driving mission behind her new book “Security Through Cooperation”</p><p>In it she sets out to debunk President Putin’s narrative that the US is dete

  • S1 · E189
    April 30 · 46 min

    A bitter pill - Justice vs Reconciliation for Northern Ireland’s troubles

    <p>Three decades since the end of the troubles the legacy on Northern Ireland is affecting today’s Armed Forces, with growing talk it’s damaging recruitment and driving some to leave service.</p><p>The Northern Ireland Secretary promised additional protections for veterans to help as the save his legacy bill from running out of parliamentary time, but it remains hugely divisive.</p><p>Sitrep explains the complexities of laying the past to rest in way that could satisfy all, and asks one veteran

  • S1 · E188
    April 23 · 49 min

    Japan rejects pacifism, what does that mean for the UK?

    <p>Japan eases restrictions in defence exports, taking a step away from decades of self-imposed pacifism after the Second World War. On Sitrep, we ask, what will they be selling and will the UK buy any of it?Searching for the next generation of Gurkha soldiers – we’re on the road in Nepal with the recruiters battling with bribery and corruption. Also on Sitrep, how do you prepare for peace while war rages? A career diplomat explores the people and events in the Foreign Office during World War 2.

  • S1 · E187
    April 16 · 50 min

    Is the UK now too late to be ready for war?

    <p>When they still don’t know what equipment they will get, and when, it’s extremely hard for&nbsp;&nbsp;the UK’s Armed Forces deliver on their mission to be ready for war.&nbsp;</p><p>But the clock is ticking ever louder, so how long have they got?</p><p>Professor Michael Clarke and Dr. Jack Watling explain the types of conflict that could lie ahead, when they could happen, and what we need to be ready for those risks.</p><p>And as the Chief of Defence Staff reveals a new national War Book is b

Showing 21–27 of 27 episodes