BFBS Sitrep

BFBS Radio

Award winning Defence podcast from BFBS.

Subscribe Listen in podnod RSS feed Show website

946 episodes
Updated Thursday

Episodes946

Newest first

April 9 · 52 min
The Royal Navy plans for policing an Iran peace-deal
British military planners are working with allies on how to make the Strait of Hormuz “safe and accessible”. The PM says it’s important we get the route open, but how and when could it be done?Former Royal Navy Weapon Engineering Officer, Commodore Steve Prest, tells Sitrep what capabilities are needed, and why the announced two-week ceasefire isn’t enough to start the job.With the US and Iran both claiming victory, Professor Michael Clarke explains why they  “scared t
April 2 · 44 min
Defending the UK without the US
The UK’s defence plans have relied, for decades, on the assumption that America will help us in a crisis.  But we can’t assume that any more, so what are those plans worth now?Sitrep explains the findings of MPs and Peers who say we must end our “deep dependence” on the US, for everything from software updates for planes to nuclear capable missiles.Former National Security adviser Lord Ricketts tells Kate Gerbeau where the biggest risks are, and how long it could take
April 2 · 16 min
EXTRA – Is it time for another “super-regiments” shake up in the Army?
20 years ago the “future infantry structure” plan provoked outrage.To reshape a shrunken army some historic regiments were amalgamated, losing names and cap badges, while others were closed altogether.Two decades later, those regiments that were created have their own histories, and bonds forged in battle. So was the pain worth it, and with all that’s changed since is it time for another round of mergers?
March 26 · 37 min
Home or Away – Where’s best for British training of Ukrainian forces?
Tens-of-thousands of Ukrainian troops have been trained in the UK on Operation Interflex, but Ukraine says our trainers now lack “modern combat experience”, and that the lessons would be more effective delivered at home.Simon Newton explains the practical considerations and why this will be an evolution of Op. Interflex, not an end to it.Also on Sitrep a senior Army officer blames failures to correctly operate and maintain Ajax armoured vehicles for more than 30 soldiers falling
March 19 · 52 min
How the Iran war threatens Ukraine’s fight for survival
There are only so many weapons in the world to go round, so the laws of supply and demand leave Ukraine struggling even more to get what it desperately needs.And Russia’s been thrown an economic lifeline by a double whammy of surging gas and oil prices, along with weakened sanctions.Professor Michael Clarke explains how all this will impact the battlefield, and Colin Freeman gives us insights from his latest visit to Ukraine.Also on Sitrep, some of Britain’s top Army offi
March 12 · 47 min
Hard lessons for the UK from the Iran war
The UK ramped up its air power in and around the Middle East before the Iran war, but the fact it took nearly a fortnight to deploy an air-defence destroyer has put military capability and readiness firmly in the spotlight.Sitrep explains the rhetoric and the reality as political opponents accuse the Prime Minister of failing to prepare and sitting on his hands.Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman, who helped write the Chilcot Report into the Iraq war, tells Sitrep why he thinks the
March 5 · 43 min
Royal Navy warship heads to the Middle East
The Royal Navy deploys a destroyer to the Mediterranean to bolster defences in the region, amidst a war in the Middle East.But HMS Dragon won’t set sail until next week and it will take days to get there.The question on most observers' lips is - why did it take so long? and is our response a bit late and a bit underwhelming?    Also on Sitrep …. What are the 6 crises predicted to converge, making it the most unstable global time since the second world
February 26 · 53 min
Hitting Russia in the roubles – could economic warfare secure victory for Ukraine?
As Ukraine fights its war for survival alone on the battlefield, the UK has announced new sanctions against Russia to throttle the supply of money into Putin's war machine.But can it work, and persuade Moscow to get serious about peace talks? Economist and Russia expert Timothy Ash runs us through the numbers.Defence Minister Luke Pollard tells Sitrep the UK is considering “further tactics” against Russia’s shadow fleet transporting sanctioned oil.  Mike explains why h
February 19 · 40 min
Why the AWOL Defence Investment Plan is a big problem.
The Prime Minister says we are going to have to spend more, faster, on defence.  But his government hasn’t even decided how it will spend the money already in the budget, despite  promising the plan months ago.Sitrep explains why the growing delays are a big problem for some defence firms, and therefore the Armed Forces they supply, as the ADS trade body tells us small business liquidations are at a 30-year high.Sian Grzeszczyk Melbourne shares the Westminste
February 15 · 1 hr 3 min
Sitrep live from the Munich Security Conference
The Prime Minister chose a stage in front of dozens of fellow world leaders to announce he’s sending HMS Prince of Wales to lead a carrier strike group to the arctic. But why?The US changed it’s tone towards Europe, but not it’s criticisms, after last year’s bombshell speech by J.D. Vance.And President Zelensky told the world that Ukraine will only accept a “real” peace.Simon Newton and Professor Michael Clarke explain what we’ve learned, and what if anything has been ach
February 12 · 50 min
NATO’s big military shake-up explained
A reshuffle of who-commands-what in NATO puts a British General in charge of the only NATO operation on US soil, while an American will take over at Maritime Command in the UK.Tim Henry explains all about the UK’s new command in Norfolk, Virginia, from his time as Deputy Commander there, and former senior NATO official Jamie Shea explains the wider moves to put Europeans in charge of joint operations while the US leads all force components.The Chief of Defence Staff says he want
February 5 · 47 min
Russia turns the screws on freezing Ukrainians
Despite temperatures below -20C attacks are targeting not just electricity and gas infrastructure in Ukraine, but heating plants which supply thousands of homes at a time.Is there any military logic or justification? Colin Freeman updates us from the city of Kharkiv, and Simon Newton explains how the extreme cold affects everything from drone batteries to the targeting of artillery shells.As the final nuclear-arms-control treaty between Russia and the US expires, Professor Micha
January 29 · 46 min
Could UK troops defend Greenland and does it even need defending?
Much buzz about a possible NATO Arctic Sentry operation helped calm Donald Trump’s talk of taking over Greenland, and the UK is one of the big backers. But do we have enough troops properly trained to operate in some of the world’s harshest conditions Ex-Royal Marine Tip Cullen shares the hard realities, including freezing eyeballs, while former Infantry officer Ed Arnold assesses whether it would be a worthwhile use of troops. As a project leader is sack
January 22 · 43 min
Why UK defence is “uniquely vulnerable” to US threats
Donald Trump crossed a line by threatening economic warfare against the UK and other allies. He may have backed down, for now, but former Defence Secretary Sir Ben Wallace says we should be preparing for the potential of the US turning its back on NATO. From nuclear missiles, to fighter jets and spare parts Professor Michael Clarke and Matthew Savill, a former policy chief in the MoD, explain our Armed Forces’ dependence on the US and how it could be de-risked.
January 15 · 53 min
Reality bites for the future of the Armed Forces
The Chief of Defence Staff refuses to say cuts are coming, but has confirmed there isn’t enough money for everything they want to do to make the Armed Forces war-ready and transformed for a high-tech future. Professor Michael Clarke and former RAF Deputy Director of Operations Greg Bagwell explain the “hard choices” once again facing defence, with the vital Defence Investment Plan still not ready.We’ve also learned that there isn’t a national defence plan for the event of w
January 15 · 24 min
EXTRA – Mindful Soldier, how combat offers resilience lessons for us all
In his 22 year army career Ash Alexander-Cooper was shot multiple times, targeted by a suicide bomber, and caught in numerous explosions.  But he has taken those traumatic moments, learnt from them, and now uses those experiences to help others with leadership and resilience.Now he’s teamed up with leading neuropsychologist Dr Jessica Miller for a new book, “Mindful Soldier”, which tells the stories of Ash’s experiences and  explains the science of how our brains manag
January 8 · 44 min
WTAF? Would Trump actually fight (for Greenland)?
Denmark says US threats to take Greenland by force would ‘end’ NATO.  Does NATO have any plan to deal with an ally-on-ally attack?  Which side would the UK take if it happened? Or is it all just about Trump’s “art of the deal”?  Former UK ambassador to NATO Lord Ricketts shares his insights.The US was said to have finally offered a security backstop for Ukraine when the UK and France formally signed-off their intent to put boots on the ground for an
January 8 · 17 min
EXTRA – Is the Islamic State terror group making a comeback in Syria?
It’s seven years since the jihadists’ caliphate was brought to a complete end, but IS continues to attack in Syria and there are signs of a potential resurgence.The RAF and French Air Force have just bombed what they believe was an underground weapons and explosives store.Yet the US led coalition against IS, including the UK’s Operation Shader, is supposed to be winding down in 2026.Dr. Charlie Winter, chief research officer of the intelligence platform ExTrac, explains h
Dec 30, 2025 · 9 min
The World in 2026 – Defending the UK
The outcome of the Ukraine war is arguably the most immediate key to our security in the UK, and if the fighting ends our Armed Forces may be sent to Ukraine to secure not just its future but also ours.At the same time the Chief of Defence Staff has warned we all need to be prepared for the possibility of war coming to the UK.So what kind of year does this set out for Britain’s servicemen and women?Former Army Officer Dominic Nicholls, now Associate Editor for Defence at
Dec 29, 2025 · 15 min
The World in 2026 – The US and NATO
President Trump’s “America First” agenda has now been translated into an official security strategy with Europe at the bottom of the list.Will that mean big moves of US military capability away from Europe in 2026, even as war rages in Ukraine?How should the rest of NATO adapt, and how will Russia respond?Retired US Lieutenant General Ben Hodges explains the picture right now, and how it could change over the next year.