BFBS Radio Sitrep

All Episodes

Former RAF Typhoon pilot Mike Sutton talks at length to Kate Gerbeau about his time on combat sorties over Iraq on Operation Shader, what it was like to be high in the sky witnessing friends under attack on the ground, how bombing missions worked, and his close brushes with lethal danger.

Mike also tells Kate how he became a fighter pilot, despite initially being rejected by the RAF, and how he still gets to fly fast jets as a civilian.

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After an F35, flying from HMS Queen Elizabeth, crashed into the Mediterranean the pilot ejected and was safely recovered to the Aircraft carrier.

In this week’s Sitrep we look at the two most urgent tasks now, to find out why the crash happened, and to recover the plane which is packed with top-secret technology that the UK does not want enemies to get a glimpse of.

Blowing up a satellite, massing troops near Ukraine, and getting involved in a migrant crisis. We ask what is Russia up to?

A world leading expert tells us why he’s changed his mind on the risk of a biological terror attack.

And we have the story of a world-record flight using a fuel made from nothing but air and water. We ask the manufacturer of the UK’s fighter jet engines if the fuel really could power a carbon-neutral Royal Air Force.

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The Army’s top officers are summoned to discuss ‘disciplinary mistakes’, especially harassment and abuse of women. The outgoing Chief of Defence Staff acknowledges ‘laddish culture’ is encouraged because soldiers have to go ‘close and personal’ with the enemy.

In this week’s Sitrep we ask if that culture is necessary for a fighting force, and whether an independent audit of Army culture will be enough to deliver a promised cultural shift?

We also examine how Belarus may be ‘weaponising’ migration to destabilise the European Union, and investigate how an off the shelf drone was used in an assassination attempt.

And on the 100th Anniversary of Remembrance and the Poppy Appeal, a veteran tells us why it’s still very relevant for him.

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World leaders talk big at COP26 on trying to avert a spiralling environmental catastrophe – but some key players are missing.

The Defence Secretary says militaries would have to deal with the consequences of a failed climate change policy.

In this week’s Sitrep – we examine the hopes of success or failure, and ask a former UK ambassador to the UN whether a ‘wartime mentality’ could help.

We’ll also dig into the murky data on just how much carbon emissions come from militaries... and how that might change.

Also this week we’ll examine the significance of RAF jets flying from Israeli soil for the first time since the country’s independence.

And we ask – is it time for an Afghanistan inquiry, or did the experience of Iraq teach us that there are better ways to learn lessons?

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The Mine Advisory Group says plans to cut back on government funding for landmine clearance is catastrophic...we’ll hear from the CEO of ‘MAG’ and a former British soldier working on the ground for them in Iraq. ...there’s fresh anger over Afghanistan...the RAF has airlifted 102 people who fled Afghanistan to a neighbouring country to the UK, but, is that an impressive number or surprisingly low?. We talk that through with Professor Michael Clarke. It’s fifty years since Britain first put a rocket containing a satellite into space...we’ll look back at the Black Arrow project and find out why it was cancelled. And...the Army has quit smoking! All sites in the UK will go tobacco free by the end of next year.

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China denies testing a new hypersonic missile — a potential new threat in space. Meanwhile North Korea tests a new, submarine-launched, missile, sparking more concerns over its ambitions. In this week’s Sitrep, how should the west respond to both events? Foreign affairs analyst Tim Marshall explains how geography can help predict future conflict zones. Plus we hear from the author of a new report on domestic violence inside military relationships, and a woman who left her husband after he turned violent. And we look back at the life of Colin Powell, the first African-American to lead the US military.

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Hundreds of Afghan interpreters, who worked with British forces in the country, remain stranded after the end of the international evacuation mission. In this week’s Sitrep, we hear from two of them, and an expert on the country, who got out as the Taliban advanced on Kabul, tells us why it’s so vital to restore humanitarian aid. The militia leader once dubbed Iraq’s most dangerous man is now a key powerbroker in the country — we get an update on elections to the Iraqi parliament, and what could happen next. Is war an essential part of being human? We hear from a historian who says we’re making a big mistake by not studying war and its effects. And we find out about new research to try to establish why military personnel are twice as likely as civilians to faint.

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As Admiral Sir Tony Radakin is announced as the next Chief of the Defence Staff, what challenges await the new leader of Britain’s armed forces? One issue in his in-tray could be the growing crisis in Taiwan, whose leaders warn relations with China are worse now than they’ve been for forty years. This week, we get the picture from Taipei, and find out what’s behind China’s latest moves. The man in charge of the Centre for Army Leadership tells us about his book, detailing the lessons that could be applied in the boardroom or the classroom. And we report from Belize, where Sandhurst instructors are helping to train future military leaders.

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The Government turns to the forces to help resolve the fuel crisis that’s seen huge queues at petrol stations across the UK. It’s not the first time the military’s been asked to step in during an emergency at home — are we becoming too reliant on the forces to bolster civilian authorities? And do we need a US-style National Guard on stand-by? America’s military chiefs publicly contradict President Biden, insisting they did warn him not to pull all US troops out of Afghanistan — we hear what they had to say to Senators in Washington. With the race to be the next Chief of the Defence Staff said to be wide open, how long should our military chiefs stay in their jobs? And does the whole military career structure need a shake-up? And we find out about the man most likely to be Germany’s next Chancellor, and what it means for the country’s relationship with NATO allies.

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France has called the defence pact between Britain, the US and Australia a “stab in the back”, but will it do lasting damage to relations between the key allies? Sitrep speaks to a former National Security Adviser, who went on to be Britain’s ambassador in France. There’s also a report that warns nations like Russia and Turkey are stepping into conflict zones as western powers lose any appetite to intervene. And as gas prices surge across Europe, one expert explains why we should see it as a vital issue of energy security, and act before an even bigger crisis happens Plus, 40 years on from its independence, a special report from Belize, where Britain’s military never quite left…

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What does the new AUKUS defence pact between Britain, the US and Australia mean? Leaders from the military, politics and the defence industry have been meeting in London over the past few days, and this week’s Sitrep reports from inside DSEI on promises of an integrated future for the forces. We’ll learn more about some of the cutting edge tech on display, and we hear from the Second Sea Lord on plans for the UK to project its power around the world. The minister responsible for defence procurement tells us how he hopes the problems with the Ajax armoured vehicle might be fixed and what future threats keep a leading expert on information warfare awake at night?

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Days after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan comes the anniversary of the terrorist attack that sparked the invasion in 2001. How has the world changed since the 9/11 attacks? Is the west stronger or weaker? And are we any safer now than we were then? We hear from some of the British military personnel involved in the evacuation effort at Kabul airport, and find out what might happen to Britain’s nuclear deterrent if Scotland votes for independence in a second referendum. Plus the continuing problems with the Ajax armoured vehicles, and we look inside NATO’s newest command, designed to cover the alliance’s back in a crisis.

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Days after Britain’s last military personnel leave Afghanistan, the US completes its withdrawal and President Biden says America is not in the business of nation building anymore. But he also vows to strike back at ISIS-K from thousands of miles away — we explore how that will work, and how much the west will need the Taliban’s help. How deep is the division opened up between London and Washington by the withdrawal — and how long will it last? We hear from veterans on how they’ve handled the chaotic end of the 20-year campaign in Afghanistan. Plus we speak to the author who was determined to tell the stories of women who played a big part in the Second World War, before it’s too late.

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As the western evacuation from Afghanistan enters its final phase, what are the key mistakes that led to the country’s fall to the Taliban? This week, we hear from an analyst who only left Kabul as the city was being taken over — she claims the US effectively sold out the Afghan government, and encouraged the Taliban to wait out the clock. We discuss what impact the withdrawal will have on other countries’ faith in western military powers, and whether it will prompt a fracture between the US and UK. Plus we ask what impact this last deployment in Afghanistan will have on the hundreds of British troops now pulling out of Kabul, and how it’s affecting veterans of the last twenty years.

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A special Sitrep examines the implications of the fall of Kabul, and the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan. We hear from a former Royal Marine still in Kabul, and a journalist who escaped on the day the Taliban entered the city. A former head of the Army tells us what it felt like to see Afghanistan fall, and we ask what America’s decision to withdraw could mean for its NATO allies. And we reflect on whether political leaders are right when they insist the near 20-year mission in Afghanistan was still worthwhile.

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As the situation in Afghanistan worsens, we ask what are the realistic options to bring things back under control. We’ll hear from the former head of the UK’s Joint Forces Command, General Sir Richard Barrons... he thinks a return to UK boots on the ground isn’t the way forward but allied and Afghan air strikes could be. We’ll look at the impact of climate change on the military... how will it affect future conflict? The International Institute for Strategic Studies recently looked at how extreme weather could affect global security. We’ll talk to Ben Barry from the IISS. And... we hear from Army boxing Olympic medalist Kariss Artingstall... she’s back home after a very successful Tokyo 2020.

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A month after the bulk of remaining western forces pulled out of Afghanistan, the Taliban is on the rise. Fierce fighting has brought cities like Herat and Kandahar to the brink of collapsing to the militants. But the greatest danger is in Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand -- where British forces fought against the Taliban for so many years. We hear from those who served in Afghanistan - including the former Chief of the Defence Staff, Lord Richards, who tells Sitrep that the Government must set out what it will do to prevent the fall of the Afghan government. We'll also explore what could happen next after the fatal attack on a tanker off Oman -- blamed by western powers on Iran. And we'll find out about the bizarre case of military ships' positions being faked -- who might be doing it, and why?

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A damning report accuses military leaders of failing to protect female personnel from bullying, harassment and discrimination. An MPs investigation revealed the huge number of complaints, including allegations of serious sexual offences going unpunished. We hear from the MP who led the probe, and a 30-year Army veteran who resigned to highlight the issue - and we ask a defence minister what they’re going to do to improve things. Plus the US announces an end to combat operations in Iraq — but not for the first time. And as the Carrier Strike Group reaches the Indo-Pacific, what does our biggest ally make of it all?

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European officials want Spanish forces on the ground in Gibraltar policing the border — something both the UK and Gibraltar insist they won’t accept. We get the latest from the territory’s Chief Minister. Is your phone spying on you? After the revelations this week about spyware reportedly aimed at human rights campaigners, political and military leaders, we ask who should set the rules for modern surveillance? We hear from an expert in space defence on the huge vulnerability of western satellites, and the risks a future conflict could start far above the earth. And we pay tribute to a Dambusters pilot, who was determined to make sure a key contribution to the Second World War was never forgotten.

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The Government wants to halt all investigations and prosecutions linked to Northern Ireland’s past. But how can you move on from a conflict when some of its biggest crimes will go unpunished? Will the wars of the future be beyond the capacity of humans? We’ve a report on how new advances in AI and quantum computing could fundamentally change the nature of conflict. And as a global shortage of computer chips slows production, we find out how it’s become a national security issue. Plus we report from the Carrier Strike Group, and hear from the captain of the US warship that’s joined the HMS Queen Elizabeth. And what links Sandhurst’s first female college commander and Gareth Southgate’s remarkable England team?

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BFBS Radio Sitrep

Royal Navy warship heads to the Middle East

Royal Navy warship heads to the Middle East

All Episodes

‘Do not screw this up’ – A fighter pilot’s story

The race to recover Britain’s crashed F35

The Army’s Culture Problem

A ‘war-footing’ for the Climate Crisis

Cutting the cash for landmine clearance

The new race for space

Afghanistan’s humanitarian catastrophe

Britain’s new military leader

The 4th Emergency Service?

Will AUKUS make it awkward for Britain and France?

Britain, US & Australia sign new defence pact

9/11 - 20 years on

Watching Afghanistan from over the horizon

Afghanistan: The final days

Afghanistan’s collapse

Afghanistan. The options?

Afghanistan on the brink.

“Truly Shocking” report highlights sexism in the military

Spanish boots on the rock?

Drawing a line under the past