BFBS Sitrep

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Award winning Defence podcast from BFBS.

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946 episodes
Updated Thursday

Episodes946

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Sep 11, 2025 · 40 min
Sitrep live at DSEI 2025
The new Chief of Defence Staff has told defence industry they need to “step up” and do more to make Britain’s Armed Forces ready for warfighting.Sitrep is at one of the world’s largest defence equipment exhibitions to see the latest military technology, and assess the role of defence firms in deterring or winning a war.Ministers want help ending “stupid rules”, top brass want kit quicker, and shareholders want their returns.  Can they all be delivered as one?Retired
Sep 4, 2025 · 46 min
Analysing the weapons in China’s “peace” parade
China’s released 80,000 doves at the end of its 80th anniversary victory day parade, but the messaging of military might was far louder than appeals for peace.Professor Michael Clarke and defence analyst Dr James Bosbotinis explain what new hardware Beijing chose to show off, what the hypersonic missiles and uncrewed jets mean for its military capability, and the significance of who was (and who wasn’t) in the VIP seats.The Northern Ireland Secretary says Britain and Ireland are
Sep 2, 2025 · 14 min
EXTRA - Norway buys British. Will it help or hinder the Royal Navy?
Oslo is spending £10bn to equip itself with five Type 26 frigates – a big vote of confidence in these submarine hunters already being built for the Royal Navy.But it will also mean the already-stretched timeline to deliver the Navy’s eight new frigates becomes even longer.Former Director of Navy Acquisition, Commodore Steve Prest, explains what cutting edge capabilities of the Type 26 that persuaded Norway to buy British, how the delays might impact Britain’s maritime capability
Aug 28, 2025 · 41 min
What's going on in the Arctic?
Sitrep analyses open-source intelligence which shows an uptick in secretive surveillance flights, by the UK, US and Russia, in the High North and over the Baltic. Defence Analyst and former infantry officer Ed Arnold explains the possibilities behind the activity, and we hear first hand from NATO's Arctic Ocean patrols. Could peat-bogs be used as tank-traps to help protect Eastern Europe from Russian invasion? We hear from Estonia where they’re looking at
Aug 21, 2025 · 44 min
What Next After Ukraine Peace Talks?
Sitrep digs deep into the implications for the British military of a potential ceasefire in Ukraine.  The Defence Secretary has laid out Britain’s preparedness  to put boots on the ground and provide reassurance at sea and in the air.  So this time on Sitrep – how does Britain plan for that moment, and what’s its part in guaranteeing Ukraine’s future security? We hear from former Chief of the Defence Staff Field Marshal Lord Richards and Form
Aug 14, 2025 · 40 min
Lessons from General Bill Slim’s victory over Japan
80 years ago General Bill Slim accepted the surrender of Japan, marking the end of World War Two, after leading the 14th Army to victory in Burma.He is regarded by many as Britain’s greatest general, but how did he achieve what others believed to be impossible?A veteran tells Sitrep what made the Burma campaign so hard and why General Slim was so well regarded, while Viscount Mark Slim gives us a rare tour of the artefacts which reveal his grandfather’s place in history.M
Aug 7, 2025 · 47 min
From wargames to floating cocktail party – HMS Prince of Wales heads to Japan
The UK’s 2025 Carrier Strike Group has sailed to the other side of the world, and is halfway through that 8 month mission.  But what’s it all for? Sitrep explains what the military drills along the way will have given the 4,000 servicemen and women taking part, and why the aircraft carrier’s role hosting defence and trade talks in Japan still matters. The Royal Navy can’t do big global deployments without the support from the Royal Fleet Auxilliary.&
Jul 31, 2025 · 46 min
Will starvation in Gaza upend Israel’s military campaign?
The UK, France, and Canada are upping the pressure on Israel for a ceasefire, by talking about recognising a Palestinian state. Even Donald Trump has told Israel it has to “do it a different way” because of “real starvation”.But will this diplomatic pressure make any difference? Professor Michael Clarke and Middle East expert Dr Burcu Ozcelik consider whether cutting military aid might be more effective and assess the impact of Arab League calls for Hamas to disarm.Sitrep also s
Jul 24, 2025 · 41 min
First details of a “peace force” for Ukraine
Britain and France say they’re ready to lead a multinational Ukraine Support Force, in the event of a ceasefire, with a British led two-star HQ in Kyiv and Command and Control from London or Paris.They promise air and sea policing, and logistic support on the ground. Senior RUSI researcher and former infantry officer Ed Arnold explains the thinking, and the big gaps that need to be filled.Sitrep examines the evidence that suggests American nuclear bombs have just been moved to t
Jul 17, 2025 · 45 min
Trump changes his tune – will it change anything in Ukraine?
After months of ratcheting up pressure on Ukraine to do a peace deal, Donald Trump’s now supplying arms to them, and sending the bill to the rest of NATO.But can weapons worth billions turn the tide, maybe change President Putin’s calculus, or will they just drag out a slow-motion defeat? The military options are explained by former defence attaché John Foreman and Professor Michael Clarke.What’s motivated scores of British veterans to fight in Ukraine, and how does it compare t
Jul 17, 2025 · 20 min
EXTRA – The untold story of Ukraine’s Foreign Legion
Hundreds of British people answered Ukraine’s urgent plea for military volunteers to help it fight back when Russian tanks rolled in.Some were novices, who travelled against UK government advice, while others took experience from the Britain’s armed forces.The journalist Colin Freeman has got to know many of them during his work in Ukraine and is sharing the story of the war through their eyes, in detail, for the first time.He tells Kate Gerbeau about his book “The Mad and The B
Jul 10, 2025 · 48 min
Homeland Defence in the UK
Sitrep digs deep into homeland defence in the UK. A former National Security adviser lays out the potential threats we face and we ask how prepared are we for a wartime scenario? The Colonel in charge of engaging the Army with the public says the challenge has never been bigger .And how do you persuade the public that defence matters? A former Lance Corporal, now an MP faces that very battle.
Jul 3, 2025 · 43 min
Are we preparing for the wrong war?
War is changing and military strategy no longer delivers victory because of a “short war fallacy”. That warning comes from eminent defence historian Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman, who was part of the Iraq inquiry panel.He tells Sitrep why he believes military strategists, and their political masters, need to change their mindset, while Professor Michael Clarke explains how the UK’s recent defence review stacks up against that thinking.Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton has be
Jul 3, 2025 · 21 min
EXTRA – Eagle Days, the story of the Luftwaffe through German eyes
The history of the Battle of Britain has been written many times over the last 85 years, but almost always from a British perspective.The award-winning aviation historian Dr Victoria Taylor believes that’s led to the Luftwaffe’s role being oversimplified, meaning we don’t truly understand what happened.She talks to Sitrep editor James Hirst about her new book “Eagle Days”, which takes a fresh look at the story of wartime Germany’s air force to understand the psychology which dro
Jun 26, 2025 · 39 min
Cash vs Capability. 5% defence spending explained
NATO countries have signed up hundreds of billions of pounds in extra defence spending by 2035, but no one has told us yet what it will be spent on.But Mike explains how the UK’s part can already be seen in recent Strategic Defence Review.From F-bombs to F-35s, and the viral ‘Daddy’ moment, there was a lot of political theatre at the NATO summit. But a former commander of the UK-led Allied Rapid Reaction Corps tells Sitrep why he’s sure that, behind the scenes, serious military
Jun 26, 2025 · 27 min
EXTRA - Why Cyprus matters - the UK Defence Adviser explains
The UK has around 100 square miles of sovereign territory in Cyprus, home to more than 3000 Defence personnel, and it is a lynchpin of British military operations around the world.On the doorstep of the Middle East it’s used from everything from bombing missions, to intelligence gathering and decompression for troops returning from operations.Sitrep talks to Colonel Vicky Reid about her key role as the UK Defence Adviser in Cyprus, responsible not only for helping deliver missio
Jun 19, 2025 · 40 min
UK military contingency plans for the Iran/Israel war explained
RAF planes have been moved to the Middle East for ‘contingency support’, but what could those contingencies end up being?Professor Michael Clarke maps out the British military presence in the region, which could come under threat from Iran in a worst-case scenario.Lord Peter Ricketts, who led many a crisis meeting as National Security Adviser, explains how and why the UK is making military plans even as it calls for de-escalation.And a former Deputy Commander of RAF Opera
Jun 12, 2025 · 39 min
Increase defence spending or learn Russian, Nato chief tells UK
The head of NATO issues his starkest warning yet about Russia’s readiness for war. We speak to Ed Arnold, a senior research fellow at the defence think-tank RUSI and a former infantry officer.In Ukraine, drone warfare is reaching ever-more sophisticated levels. We look at how this single weapon is changing warfare with Dr. Ulrike Franke, a Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.And the Royal Navy’s Carrier Strike Group makes its way through the Red Se
Jun 5, 2025 · 59 min
SITREP LIVE – The Defence Review explained & your questions answered
It’s the new defence masterplan for the next decade and beyond, but what does the Strategic Defence Review mean for the Armed Forces?The lead military author of the review, General Sir Richard Barrons, joins a special live edition of Sitrep to explain the plan and answer your questions about how it should work.Former Royal Navy Commander Tom Sharpe adds his insights to the discussion with Kate Gerbeau and Professor Michael Clarke.The whole team will break down the big que
May 29, 2025 · 39 min
HMS Venturer – what hope will the new Type 31 frigate offer the Royal Navy?
As the Royal Navy unveils HMS Venturer to the public for the first time – we ask, what hope does the first Inspiration Class Frigate offer a surface fleet short on ships and sailors?Sitrep’s reporter David Sivills-McCann has all the answers - he witnessed the new type 31 frigate rolling out of the build hall in Rosyth. The former second sea lord and Babcock chief executive of marine Sir Nick Hine says the Royal Navy will love her.We’ll also look at the German Chancellor's announ