BFBS Radio Sitrep

After decades of believing the risk of air-strikes on UK soil were miniscule, everyone now accepts we need to significantly boost our air and missile.

The how, the when, and the money however are a political dispute right now, so Sitrep explains the options, the hard choices, and limits of what can be achieved.

Former MoD insider Matthew Savill, and retired Air Marshal Greg Bagwell tell Kate Gerbeau what the most serious threats are, the most likely and most vulnerable targets, and how we can best mitigate the risks.

And 125 years since the creation of the Royal Navy Submarine Service, former captain of HMS Turbulent Ryan Ramsey reflects on the achievements and future of this stealthy and possibly misunderstood part of our Armed Forces.

All UK troops, and the whole Global Coalition, have left Iraq after 12 years with their mission to support local troops against Islamic State terrorists deemed complete.

Last time we left, we were back within three years, and this time Iraq has been under repeated attack from its neighbour in the Iran/US war.  So will we have to go back again?

Professor Micheal Clarke explains the risks and potential benefits of the drawdown, and Dr. Karin Von Hippel who was Chief of Staff to the first leader of the Global Coalition tells us why it appears Iraq wanted troops to stay longer, but was rebuffed by President Trump.

And BFBS reporter Will Hollis, at RAF Akrotiri, explains why this a change but not the end for Operation Shader altogether. 

The search is on to find a replacement for the Ministry of Defence’s fleet of five thousand Land Rovers. 

Forces News reporter Simon Newton has test-driven some of the contenders and gives Sitrep the lowdown.

Also, more and more people are warning that Russia may be preparing to step up its aggression against NATO. Professor Michael Clarke answers the question: how likely is it there will be an article 5 style challenge soon?

There’s a rifle race going on right now – Project Grayburn is the campaign to find the successor to the British Army’s SA80 which entered service in the 1980s. We’ll be looking at what the soldiers say they want, what the MOD says it wants and when it might happen. Forces News’ Sian Grzeszczyk Melbourne and Justin Bosanquet went to the US and were the first journalists to try out some of the rifles that might one day be in British military hands.

In theory 95,000 veterans could be liable for recall if the UK was at war, or headed that way, but for decades it’s been little more than a notional force, lying dormant.

That is about to change though.  Thousands could soon get letters calling them up for an exercise next year, to help the MoD faces challenges as basic as locating people, let alone equipping and training them.

Sitrep explains why this is only a first step to generating a force which could be vital within a few years and what these reservists could be asked to do in a crisis, while veterans campaigner Jonny Ball tells us how it will go down with those asked to step up.

And as Russian bombardment of Ukraine reaches new record levels we get a first hand taste of the reality, when an airstrike interrupts our conversation with Colin Freeman.

Iran’s strikes on US military bases in the Middle East are a blunt reminder that British servicemen and women deployed in the region face real risks.

Professor Michael Clarke assesses the dangers while former Royal Navy Commander Tom Sharpe explains the options for British ships which had been standing by for a possible protection role in the Strait of Hormuz.

Often UK and US bases are co-located, including Bahrain which a US Navy Admiral has told his personnel they won’t be returning to “any time soon”.

Retired Lieutenant General Sir Simon Mayall, who led the creation of the Royal Navy base in Bahrain, explains the potential impact for a facility designed to operate independently of the US but also primarily intended for joint operations.

The UK has handed final blueprints for Storm Shadow missiles to Kyiv, while a treasure trove of battlefield data is coming to Britain.  Can this tech-swap help Ukraine break through front lines largely frozen because of drone saturation in the skies?

Professor Michael Clarke explains how Storm Shadow could help Ukraine push through Russian lines, but won’t be a game changer on its own.

And electronic-warfare expert Dr Thomas Withington tells Sitrep how Ukrainian drone recordings could be invaluable for the UK if it ever needs to take on Russian air defences.

Plus former UK military attaché to Russia, John Foreman, assesses the surprise visit of the CIA Director to Moscow and tells Sitrep why the size of your plane really matters on such trips.

It’s not just Russia’s threat of “consequences” for British made drones used in Ukrainian strikes, US intelligence says Moscow is considering a bigger provocation of NATO possibly within weeks.

Grey-zone expert Elisabeth Braw explains how British troops in Estonia and Poland could be an attractive target for Russia, perhaps by creating a crisis that faces them with an impossible choice or disinformation designed to turn the local population against them.

Professor Michael Clarke analyses the sub-threshold attacks that have already surged in recent years against everything from railways to top defence industry executives.

And Royal Navy Commodore Maryla Ingham tells Sitrep her time leading NATO Standing Maritime Group One, including patrols to protect critical undersea cables from Russian attack.

The Chief of the Defence Staff says it’s the "most dangerous period" he’s known in his entire military career. And we've all heard the warnings of the potential for direct armed conflict with Russia within 5 years. But what else should we be preparing for?  

Kate and Mike are joined by Tobias Ellwood, former Defence Minister, former Chair of the Defence Committee and a former soldier. He's the author of 'Ten Steps to Prevent World War Three.’ We’re also joined by the former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Sir Richard Shirreff, who served 37 years in the British Army.  

From quantum computing to biotechnology NATO has just upped its investment in startups that are trying to turn science-fiction ideas into frontline capabilities.

Sitrep explains the NATO DIANA innovation accelerator and some of the breakthroughs it’s hoping will soon become kit in the hands of troops.

A new Defence University Alliance has also just been formed to help Britain develop and deploy cutting-edge war-winning tech.  The Chief Executive of Universities UK explains how.

And after an explosive drone was found at a German airport, and a missile came down in Poland, Professor Michael Clarke assesses NATO’s red lines for overspill from the Ukraine war.

The official announcement of hundreds more British troops for Estonia, transitioning to a “mobile anti-armour” force, missed out one key detail.  It will end a decade of British tanks on Russia’s doostep, as Challenger 2’s are upgraded to become Challenger 3’s

BFBS Forces News reporter James Wharton explains how he uncovered the story, and why it will mean the burden of Estonia deployments being differently spread among British soldiers.

Troops will get new kit including drones, and precision fires. Former tank commander Justin Crump tells us what matters is the capabilities they have and whether it makes us look weak or strong.

And RUSI Director of Military Sciences, Matthew Savill, explains the job facing British Lieutenant General Tom Bateman who has just taken command of the Multinational Force For Ukraine.

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.