BFBS Radio Sitrep

Armed Forces bills come round every five years and you might think they’re just a box ticking exercise to renew the legal basis of our military.

But they’re so much more, affecting the lives, jobs, and safety of servicemen and women, plus their families.

Sitrep explains key measures on military housing, justice, reserve forces, and protection of British bases from drones, currently going through Parliament.

And Professor Michael Clarke gives us his take on what the new Prime Minister, Chancellor, and Defence Secretary might mean for the forces.

The UK has joined other European allies to commit more military capability to NATO’s battle plans, after the US made cuts “with immediate effect”

That’s been revealed to Sitrep by Air Chief Marshal Sir John Stringer, who just weeks into the job of Deputy Supreme Allied Commander had to source replacement capabilities and effectors from across the alliance.

In a wide ranging conversation with Sitrep’s Simon Newton he explains how talks and offers began even before the US confirmed the cuts in May.

And he gives a NATO perspective on the UK’s progress to meeting its alliance commitments - there is “no opt-out” on the 5% defence spending target, but the plans to spend big on uncrewed and deep precision strike are “aligned with NATO’s priorities”  

Behind the political theatre $50bn worth of procurement plans were announced at the NATO summit, from artillery shells to airlift and space capabilities.

Sitrep explains who’s buying what and why with the help of the UK’s first Director of Joint Warfare, retired Air Marshal Greg Bagwell.

Professor Michael Clarke assesses whether this will improve Europe’s defences, or simply turn into a game of whack-a-mole filling gaps left by the US. 

And the alliance has rebranded its air-policing mission in the Baltics to “air-defence”.  What practical difference does that make, and will it require the RAF to contribute more?

The lead military author of the Strategic Defence Review, General Sir Richard Barrons, gives his verdict on the DIP. “Doing the right thing, but not enough not quickly enough”

He tells Kate Gerbeau why one of his biggest concerns is a lack of attention to Defence Medical Services and how that really matters for deterring enemies.

Sian Grzeszczyk-Melbourne explains the impact on the day to day lives of forces personnel and families, including delays to accommodation repairs and the removal of admin roles.

And former MoD insider Matthew Savill breaks down how retirement of old equipment while waiting for new kit will affect the Armed Forces mission to be ready for war.

From remote controlled bombs-on-wheels to fooling Russian missiles that they’re flying over Peru, Simon Newton has been in Ukraine looking their homegrown battlefield technologies.

Professor Michael Clarke explains how, with the help of those technologies, Ukraine seems to have Russia on the back foot, but there’s still no end in sight to the war.

And the head of the Army, General Sir Roly Walker, says the Ukraine war has “absolutely validated” British thinking about the future of land conflict.

Former Army officer Justin Crump breaks down the Chief of General Staff’s keynote speech, and explains his own takeaway, that always wanting the best kit is a trap. 

From mine clearance to escorting tankers the UK and France promised to lead a “defensive” mission to reassure shipping “when conditions allow.”

With the ink now dry on the first step of a US/Iran peace deal that mission looks like it’s about to go from plan to reality.

Rear Admiral (retired) James Parkin shares his experience of leading a protective mission in the Strait, when Iran was seizing tankers in 2020. He also tells Sitrep just how tense it can be facing Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy.

Professor Michael Clarke explains what the UK is most likely to contribute, and what could happen if the fighting restarts around British vessels.

John Healey’s parting broadside as Defence Secretary, and Al Carns resignation as Armed Forces Minister, are clearly intended to jolt the government into a rethink of the Defence Investment Plan.  But will it work?

Sitrep explains the difficult choices now facing by the new Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis, and how his experience in the Parachute Regiment might shape his approach.

Professor Michael Clarke runs the numbers on the Defence Investment Plan which John Healey says “falls well short of what is required for defence… at this dangerous time”.

And he explains why this leaves the Chiefs of the Armed Forces in a very delicate position. 

MI5 says Chinese intelligence have been trying to lure military personnel into revealing secrets through fake job postings on sites like Linkedin, while the Pentagon reveals data gathered by legitimate advertisers has been scraped to target its troops in theatre.

These are not just notional risks, but active exploits being used now. Former Army Intelligence officer Philip Ingram tells Sitrep how he was targeted by the Chinese scam, and explains what personnel can do to minimise the risks.

Plus could the collapse of France, Germany and Spain’s 6th generation fighter jet programme be good news for the UK’s alternative GCAP?

And the tank has been written off many times over more than a century of service Hamish de Bretton Gordon talks us through his new history of the mighty machine, and why he believes it still has a long future ahead.

The tank has been written off many times in history, even when the very first ones rolled onto the battlefield in World War One. But this British invention continues to shape the world.

From its inception as a “land ship” to the battlefields of Ukraine, the story of the tank and those who have commanded them, are chronicled by Hamish de Bretton Gordon in his new book “Tank Command”

He tells Kate Gerbeau how a risky experiment secured its ongoing place in modern warfare

He also shares his own experiences in a tank during the Gulf War, from engine repairs using rope to narrowly avoiding friendly fire from the tank of Major James Hewitt.

The long-delayed Defence Investment Plan, to turn the future blueprint of the Armed Forces into reality, is in sight. 

But with billions missing from the budget what do we need to look for when it arrives? What’s on the table, and where might the axe fall?

Professor Michael Clarke and RUSI Director of Military Sciences Matthew Savill explain why spending on getting the best out of what we already have matters as much as what new kit will be ordered.

And Sitrep hears some of your thoughts on whether it’s time to admit we can’t do everything, and instead prioritise one service over the others.

Exercise Spring Storm may be an annual event for NATO, but this time there’s no playing nicely with words.  The troops taking part say they are “rehearsing for war”, just miles from Russia.

BFBS Forces News Reporter Rosie Laydon tells why this exercise feels different to the many she’s visited before, and talks us through the new tech being tested out by 2 Scots.

We explain what other tech is in the pipeline for the Army, and how it could change soldiering, as Kate talks to two senior officers driving the Land ISTAR programme.

And Professor Michael Clarke assesses reports that the US will slash the combat capability it promises to NATO, including all submarines, and explains why it might not be as worrying as it looks.

Sitrep dives into the future of the Army and explains how a new generation of battlefield sensors and worldwide connectivity could transform British soldiering.

The Land ISTAR programme will gather unprecedented battlefield insights and share them in real time, informing soldiers just a few metres away and at the same moment an HQ on the other side of the world. 

It won’t be a big bang event, it’s a long process, but its already connecting some existing systems with new cutting edge kit.

Brigadier Matthew Birch, Senior Responsible Owner of the Land ISTAR Programme, and Colonel Kieran Phillips, Commander Multi-Domain Operations Group, explain what’s already out there,  what lies ahead, and how they plan to avoid data overload.

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

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.

In a special edition from the National Memorial Arboretum James Wharton, Duane Gardner, and Kevin Robinson share their stories and compare their experiences.

And they explain how, despite the complex legacy of the Iraq war, it continues to shape todays armed forces from transformed kit to sharpened doctrine.

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. 

Both high profile deployments come with some big questions. 

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? 

Retired Commodore Steve Prest explains the likely tasks for each vessel and their crews, while Professor Michael Clarke assess how the Royal Navy will manage the workload just as it’s at the toughest point of a long term transformation. 

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.

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.

The work could also have benefits for the UK with talk that massive pool of training data could be shared with allies.

But does this put us on an unstoppable path to machines making life and death decisions on the battlefield? Dr. Matthew Powell, from the RAF College Cranwell, explains the practical and ethical dilemmas.

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.

As a former Deputy Secretary General of NATO and U.S. Undersecretary of State she’s seen the highs, as well as the lows.

Rose talks to Kate Gerbeau about those experiences, and the driving mission behind her new book “Security Through Cooperation”

In it she sets out to debunk President Putin’s narrative that the US is determined to destroy Russia, and shares memories from her own time in Moscow.

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.

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.

Sitrep explains the complexities of laying the past to rest in way that could satisfy all, and asks one veteran why he favours an end to prosecutions over courtroom justice for victims and families, including hundreds of soldiers. 

And as HMS Victory has its masts carefully removed in a painstaking operation we talk to the man charged with preserving this icon of British military history.  

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. 

When they still don’t know what equipment they will get, and when, it’s extremely hard for  the UK’s Armed Forces deliver on their mission to be ready for war. 

But the clock is ticking ever louder, so how long have they got?

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.

And as the Chief of Defence Staff reveals a new national War Book is being written, to plan for the worst case scenario, Sitrep hears from someone who had access to this highly secret document during the Cold War.

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 themselves” into the deal, and how the war could spiral out of control if it restarts.

And with the world distracted from Ukraine, Simon Newton updates us on why President Zelensky believes his forces are in their best position for nearly a year.