BFBS Sitrep

The early days of the campaign to succeed Boris Johnson have seen a bidding war on defence spending from those hoping to replace him. BFBS Sitrep assess the defence legacy Mr Johnson will leave his successor and the challenges they’ll face. A former head of the Army tells us what he wants from whoever becomes the next Prime Minister. We also hear from two very different cities in Ukraine as we ass...

Although cases of people serving in the armed forces taking their own lives are low – among men in the army the figures have been rising in recent years. Among some very specific groups of veterans the risk of suicide appears to be much higher – particularly younger men who only served a short time in the forces. As the government carries out research to understand why, BFBS Sitrep talks to a lead...

The head of the Army has told his troops that they have a new main effort – Operation Mobilise. We’ll examine the plan for more of the Army to be ready more of the time for a high intensity war, and what that means for servicemen and women. NATO wants to make its high-readiness force more than seven times bigger, up to 300,000 troops, in little more than a year. But can it deliver? The diplomatic...

The new Chief of General Staff has written to all soldiers saying they must be prepared to fight in Europe and defeat Russia in battle – so are we not ready for that right now? The internal letter has reached much further – BFBS Sitrep assesses its impact in Westminster, across the continent, and in the Kremlin. The Dutch Prime Minister has apologised to his country’s peacekeepers who were sent on...

Ukraine says it urgently needs more weapons and ammunition from the west. BFBS Sitrep speaks to journalist Nicola Smith who’s on the ground near the biggest battleground and tells us about the tragedy unfolding in front of her. Professor Michael Clark explains why although weapons are on the way they won’t make an immediate difference. In Finland our reporter is with a Joint Expeditionary Force ex...

40 years on from the liberation of the Falklands BFBS Sitrep hears the story of the final hours from those who were there – and examines the lessons of the conflict. The man who marched 3 Commando Brigade across miles of mud tells us how logistic difficulties left ammunition in the wrong place at the wrong time, putting individual operations on hold. The war might have been avoided if Britain hadn...

3 months after invading Ukraine, Russia appears to be on the brink of its first significant strategic victory – taking the whole of Luhansk province. Is this a turning point in the war, and is Ukraine now fighting a losing battle in that territory? BFBS Sitrep also digs into what the public at large are asking about the war – and Professor Michael Clarke will provide answers. Ukraine’s food export...

The daring amphibious landings of thousands of British troops was arguably the most perilous and pivotal moment of the Falklands war. 40 years on BFBS Sitrep hears from key figures about how and why it enabled the liberation of the islands. But at sea 22 lives were lost in the operation, the man who was Captain of HMS Ardent tells us the story of its sinking, and how it still occasionally gives hi...

Commander Alan West was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his pivotal role in the Falklands war. His ship HMS Ardent was sunk with the loss of 22 lives – but it helped the thousands of troops who liberated the islands get safely ashore. Even as the crew battled fires and tended the wounded the ship sailed to more open waters, to draw out the Argentine fighter jets. Now Admiral Lord West,...

Finland has entered a ‘grey zone’, defying Russia to apply for NATO membership, but not yet covered by the alliance’s mutual defence guarantees. Hours before the announcement the UK signed a mutual security agreement with Finland – so what is the risk we’ll be called on to defend the country before it becomes a NATO member? As we analyse the latest developments in the Ukraine war we’ll explain why...

We know all too well what Russia’s invasion is doing to Ukraine – the catastrophic loss of lives, the physical devastation, and also the national resolve to fight back. But what is this war doing to Russia? BFBS Sitrep assesses the UK’s latest claim that Russia’s military is now significantly weaker for the long term. We also look at the financial hit to its economy and how could that affect the K...

Boris Johnson has just done a new defence deal with India – which imports most of its military hardware from Russia and won’t condemn the invasion of Ukraine. BFBS Sitrep examines why India’s sitting on the fence over Europe’s biggest conflict since WW2, and asks why it’s worth the UK making this deal. Professor of Defence Studies Michael Clarke assesses whether the Ukraine conflict could be sprea...

The Ukraine war has moved into phase 2, but will it be a turning point for a Russian campaign that’s had no real success so far? Instead of trying to take the whole country at once, Moscow’s forces are now concentrated on taking the East. We’ll hear from close to the new 300 mile battlefront and explain why the Donbas region has always been at the very heart of this war. And Marine Le Pen is in to...

From the size and location of massive Russian convoys, to the serial numbers of missiles used in strikes, we all have access to unprecedented detail of the Ukraine war. An army of amateur analysts are gathering, checking and sharing OSINT - Open Source Intelligence - which details the fight as it happens. One of them tells us how and why he does it. Finland and Sweden could be weeks away from appl...

By day Kyle Glen works an office job for a clinical research company. By night he gathers and analyses intelligence that can reveal the truth about wars around the world, and debunk fake news. Kyle is one of a growing army of amateur analysts working on OSINT (open-source intelligence) – which he shares on the @ConflictNews twitter account, and the OSINT Bunker podcast. In this extra edition of BF...

A catalogue of atrocities is emerging where Russian forces have withdrawn from parts of Ukraine. Film-maker Emile Ghessen tells us about the harrowing scenes he’s witnessed in Bucha. The evidence of war crimes appears compelling – mass graves, bodies of people whose hands have been tied lying in streets. But how do you prove who is responsible? A former war crimes prosecutor explains to us ho...

Julian Manyon experienced the start of the Falklands war from enemy territory. He’d been despatched to Argentina to report on the military dictatorship that had invaded a British overseas territory. First the regime kidnapped him at gunpoint – but hours later he was being treated as an honoured guest by the country’s leader, then wined and dined by top brass. He recounts his story, and his unique...

On this week’s Sitrep there’s been much talk of the weaknesses in the Russian Army, one of the reasons being suggested is their lack of a Non Commissioned Officer rank. We’ll hear from one well know former NCO in the British Army ‘Big’ Phil Campion and Russian military historian Chris Bellamy Also, what is it with Russians and alleged poisoning plots? With claims that individuals have recently bee...

On this week’s Sitrep we delve into the minds of foreign fighters. What makes someone who’ served in the military or is just a civilian want to go and fight in a conflict overseas, such as Ukraine. We’ll hear from Emile Ghessen has met many of them, he was a Royal Marine but is now a documentary film maker and is in Kyiv. We’ll also be discussing war crimes….there have been a lot of allegations ma...

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may be stalled, but it’s already reset Europe’s security thinking for decades to come. Germany appears to have abandoned its reluctance to be a big military power and has started a defence spending spree. German born Baroness Gisela Stuart tells us why it’s a seismic shift, and we assess what military capability it will buy. As well as spending more, NATO countries are...

The Labour leader’s visited Estonia to meet British troops and show British political unity against Russia, and in support of NATO and Ukraine. He talks to Kate Gerbeau from Estonia on whether the UK’s approach to Vladimir Putin should be more forceful, what would happen if a chemical attack was launched in Ukraine, and whether Britain needs an urgent increase in defence spending. 

Kyiv may be the decisive city of the war for Ukraine’s future – so what is happening there right now? BFBS Sitrep talks to a former Royal Marine turned film-maker about what he’s witnessing as Moscow’s troops advance on the capital. More than 3,500 anti-tank missiles from the UK have now reached Ukrainian troops – we look at what the NLAW and Javelin can do for the country’s fightback. And they sa...

We thought Russia’s invasion would overwhelm Ukraine within 72 hours. A week on Moscow’s forces have claimed control of just one city. So what’s gone wrong for the Kremlin? Could old maps, and archaic radios be part of Russia’s problem? We assess how much military capability each side has lost from the battlefield, and what cards Ukraine has to play as cities come under siege. President Putin...

Russia has launched a full frontal military assault on Ukraine, sending troops and tanks in from 3 directions. BFBS Sitrep assesses Moscow’s military strategy and what it can tell us about how this may play out. We also compare President Putin’s playbook in the lead-up to this invasion with what happened in Georgia in 2008, and guess what, it looks remarkably similar. What can the UK do now to hel...

Russia says it’s pulling troops back from Ukraine’s borders, the west says the buildup’s getting bigger. BFBS Sitrep talks to a former British Ambassador, and a former Moscow Correspondent to make sense of the competing claims and assess the state of the Ukraine stand off. A Defence Minister tells us why the UK is doubling its military assistance to NATO members in Eastern Europe, and whether that...