BFBS Sitrep

BFBS Radio

Award winning Defence podcast from BFBS.

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946 episodes
Updated Thursday

Episodes946

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Dec 28, 2025 · 13 min
The World in 2026 – China rising and Asia tensions
China is the world’s fastest growing military power and likes to keep the world guessing.Might it use that military power against Taiwan in 2026, or will this standoff remain the dog that doesn’t bark?Will the crisis between Japan and China remain a diplomatic one, or could harsh words become hard action? And might tensions in the South China Sea boil over?Dr Zeno Leoni, author of “Grand Strategy and The Rise of China” and a lecturer at the Defence Academy of the United K
Dec 27, 2025 · 14 min
The World in 2026 – Making UK Armed Forces ready for war
Britain’s Armed Forces go into 2026 with two big missions, become war-ready and transform for a high-tech future.There’s also the possibility of being deployed to Ukraine, if and when the fighting ends, and as always responding to unexpected events.Retired General Sir Richard Barrons, one of the authors of the Strategic Defence Review, explains the tasks, challenges, and events that will face servicemen and women in 2026.
Dec 26, 2025 · 12 min
The World in 2026 – The Next Conflict
Global tensions are high going into 2026, but will they tip over into fighting and if so, where?Could a battered and bruised Iran hit back against the US and Israel? Will we face a resurgence of jihadist terrorism? And after the most serious clash between India and Pakistan for half a century in 2025, what could be the big surprise of the next 12 months?Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor for The Economist, tells us where he’s watching and why for the next big conflict.
Dec 18, 2025 · 52 min
The Sitrep Crystal Ball 2026
Could hundreds or thousands of British troops be sent to Ukraine to support a peace plan in 2026? If there’s no deal how can Ukraine turn the tide of Russian gains? And where in the world might we see a new major conflict break out?Sitrep brings together some of the finest minds in defence to assess what the year ahead holds.Will Moldova suffer a stealth invasion of “little green men”? Would we intervene if it did? And have we taken the eye off the ball of global terrorist thr
Dec 11, 2025 · 42 min
Has the US just raised the risk of war in Europe?
Donald Trump’s new National Security Strategy prioritises improving relations with Russia and China, while calling for resistance to “weak leaders” in Europe.Professor Michael Clarke explains why he thinks this will embolden Russia rather than giving it an incentive to de-escalate, and former US State Department insider Dr Karin von Hippel assesses what it could mean for the US military footprint in Europe.The head of the Royal Navy has warned we’re “only just holding on” agains
Dec 11, 2025 · 24 min
Cyprus 1974 - when Britain nearly gave up its vital sovereign bases
When a Greek military coup and Turkish invasion plunged Cyprus into a bloody conflict, more than 30,000 British military personnel and their dependents were caught up in the crisis.They didn’t want to be part of the fighting, but came perilously close to being dragged in, more than once.Kate Gerbeau talks to historian Andrew Southam about his new book, which sheds new light on those events and how they led the government of the time to consider our Cyprus bases “a liability”.</p
Dec 4, 2025 · 41 min
How can ‘toxic leadership’ be stopped?
The Royal Navy is “vulnerable to promoting toxic leaders”.  This is not a warning from a pressure group, or a critical MPs report, it has come from the new First Sea Lord.Former Royal Navy Commander Tom Sharpe shares personal experiences to explain why and how leadership assessment could be overhauled, and how he thinks it can learn from civilian organisations.Germany is spending big on defence and doing it quickly, while the UK’s transformation is much slower but has
Nov 27, 2025 · 45 min
Will the Army ever be able to use Ajax?
Just two weeks after being declared safe, with a squadron ready to go, a “Do Not Use” order has been issued for Ajax armoured vehicles, because of more noise and vibration injuries.James Wharton from BFBS Forces News, who used to drive the vehicles Ajax is supposed to replace, reveals the levels of concern among troops and Professor Michael Clarke explains why this is looking like a huge problem for the Army.The MoD says rules of engagement have been updated after the Russian sp
Nov 20, 2025 · 43 min
Protecting those who defend us
Investigations into past actions by British forces, from Northern Ireland to Afghanistan, are damaging morale, leading some to quit the forces, and threatening our national security. So said 8 retired generals and a retired Air Marshal in an open letter calling on the government to “restore legal clarity” with a “new honest framework”Sitrep asks how do we can ensure servicemen and women have confidence they won’t be dragged through inquiries, or court, for doing their job p
Nov 13, 2025 · 36 min
Pokrovsk and Perfidy
As Russian troops battle to secure their most significant gain in Ukraine in over a yar – we look at how they’re drawing on deception tactics from the second world war.Also, the world’s largest warship arrives in the Caribbean as the US continues to strike suspected drugs-trafficking boats in the region  – have concerns over the legality of that action led Britain to stop some intelligence sharing with its US ally?And –The Army’s first new armoured fighting vehicle in 30 ye
Nov 6, 2025 · 51 min
Are we in a new nuclear arms race?
Donald Trump’s suggested the US could restart explosive tests of nuclear weapons, after more than 30 years. Is this a symptom of a nuclear arms race already underway, or could it kickstart one?William Alberque, who has played a leading role in NATO’s nuclear policies, and Jon Wolfsthal who advised President Obama, share their thoughts on whether the US is about to break a global ban on detonations, and what that could mean for us all.Sitrep also explains how atomic weapons have
Oct 30, 2025 · 45 min
Should we be worried about AUKUS?
The multibillion-pound deal to deliver nuclear powered submarines for the UK and Australia is facing questions just four years into the decades long plan. In the UK there are amber and red warnings for building the boats and propulsion systems, for its part the US is struggling to build enough Virginia class subs, and Australia faces a monumental challenge to be ready for its first nuclear vessels. So will the Royal Navy be asked to do more in the Pacific
Oct 30, 2025 · 35 min
EXTRA - Bernard Cornwell, the master military storyteller
Mike and Sian talk to Bernard Cornwell, creator of Napoleonic Wars Rifleman Richard Sharpe and Uhtred, the unforgettable hero of the Last Kingdom series. Bernard tells Sitrep about the 25th Sharpe novel, Sharpe’s Storm, his admiration for today’s armed forces and why he wouldn’t want to write about any modern day conflicts. He also reveals he’s writing a new book about Uhtred and lifts the lid on whether his latest book is the final ever Sharpe novel.<br
Oct 23, 2025 · 44 min
Ukraine’s battle lines explained and explored
Three and a half years into Ukraine’s fight for survival against Russia, it has offered to freeze the front lines in return for peace talks. But Russia’s not biting, so Sitrep explains where those front lines are right now and where the military momentum is pressing hardest, to understand where the war might go next as winter approaches.Ukrainian journalist Roman Pahulych shares insights from his time with troops close to the front lines while John Foreman, former Defence A
Oct 16, 2025 · 45 min
The Digital Targeting Web explained
The blueprint for the UK’s Armed Forces depends on data from every military sensor being available to every person who needs it.Whether the information comes from the battlefield, space, or cyberspace, and whether it’s required at the front-line, PJHQ, in a cockpit or deep in the ocean.The Digital Targeting Web is meant to be up and running in the next couple of years, but how will it work and what will it mean for troops at the sharp end?Also on Sitrep what difference co
Oct 9, 2025 · 42 min
Is the UK behind in the military drone race?
The government has promised thousands of drones will make the armed forces stronger and safer, but is refusing to say how many of them it’s ordered over the last year.Professor Michael Clarke analyses the numbers that are available and explains why Ukraine shouldn’t be treated as a template for the future, even though drones are here to stay.Sitrep also talks to the new Veterans & Defence People Minister, Louise Sandher-Jones, about how she plans to tackle accommodation and
Oct 9, 2025 · 28 min
EXTRA – The Rise and Fall of the British Army
After a 37 year career in the Army Brigadier Ben Barry became one of the UK’s most respected land warfare researchers and analysts.Now he’s drawn together his experiences in and out of uniform to write a new history of the British Army over the last half century.It tells the stories not just of the major operations and battles but also big exercises, and plans which came to nothing.He tells Kate Gerbeau how it helped him join the dots to understand not only the successes
Oct 2, 2025 · 43 min
Does taking risks win wars?
As well as condemning “fat” generals and “woke” policies US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, has told America’s top officers they must end a ‘poisonous culture of risk aversion’.Sitrep separates the warfighting logic from the culture-war politics and assesses whether UK defence could benefit from being prepared to take greater risks.We also examine the cost of silence for special forces, and explain how their bond of secrecy could stand in the way of getting mental health hel
Sep 25, 2025 · 42 min
Gesture or shoot? How to intercept Russian planes in NATO skies
The Foreign Secretary says we will “confront” Russian planes after repeated invasions of NATO airspace. Donald Trump says they should be shot down.Sitrep talks to former RAF pilot Air Marshal Greg Bagwell about how intercepts are carried out, the options for pilots, and the risks involved.Kate and Mike also talk to Keir Giles, who advises governments on Moscow’s military mindset, about what it hoped to achieve with drones over Poland, and fighter jets in Estonian airspace.<p
Sep 18, 2025 · 36 min
RAF Typhoons Head To Poland
RAF Typhoons join an air defence operation following Russian incursions into Polish and Romanian airspace. They’ll work with allied forces, including France, and Germany, helping to defend the eastern flank as part of Nato's Eastern Sentry. Sitrep digs deep with Forces News reporter Simon Newton.Also President Trump’s state visit to the UK is breaking military ceremonial records.  Sitrep talks to General Sir Nick Parker, former deputy commander of ISAF, about how intertwined UK fo