BFBS Sitrep

Should the military be helping in the fight against coronavirus?   Lord Dannatt, former head of the Army, tells Sitrep his thoughts. How British troops are training African soldiers to combat the Islamist extremists in the Sahel. And find out what it's like to be a RAF reservist.... Follow us @bfbssitrep

Downing Street has launched a huge review of defence, security and foreign policy. It's like nothing we've seen before.  Lucy Fisher, Defence Editor at The Times and Professor Michael Clarke, Distinguished Fellow at RUSI explain how it might work. Our reporter Sian Grzeszczyk talks to former Major General John Henderson who is now Chief Executive of Staffordshire County Council about life after se...

The scale of the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Syria is hard to comprehend.   Close to 1-million civilians — the majority women and children — have fled towards the Turkish border in the depths of winter.  Western nations, though, appear unwilling to do anything. Germany’s president criticises the US, and Mike Pompeo insists the transatlantic alliance remains strong. We’ll look at those compet...

The Army has some rare good news on the shortfalls in its ranks.  It is about to meet its recruitment target for the first time since it started a controversial private partnership with Capita in 2012. The cabinet reshuffle didn't go quite as expected but are there any defence implications?  We talk to Lucy Fisher, Defence Editor at the The Times Africa’s Sahel region, is currently at the centre o...

President Trump’s made his annual State of the Union address to Congress.  Malcolm Brown from Feature Story News in Washington explains how it went down with the voters and Dr Karin von Hippel the Director General of RUSI talks about the current state of Britain’s relationship with the US. Does the United Nations need reform? Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of the UN, is angry because coun...

The Government’s made its decision on Huawei and the new 5G Network – but is it the right one?  James Sullivan, head of Cyber Research at the Royal United Services Institute looks at the concerns surrounding the announcement. As we remember the Holocaust, why are we ignoring the human-rights atrocities happening right now?  Paul Rogers, Professor of Peace Studies at the University of Bradford, rem...

The 2020 Defence Review – is it big enough to shape Britain’s future defence policy?  Defence analysts Francis Tusa and Christopher Lee discuss the possible options. The former First Sea Lord, Admiral Lord West explains why is there concern over the repair programme for the Type 45s. Did the government do a deal with Sinn Fein that could lead to more veterans being prosecuted?  Former defence mini...

Higar Chemali, the former spokesperson for the US mission to the United Nations and Professor Scott Lucas from Birmingham University tell us why the UK has changed its policy on the  Iran nuclear deal, and look at America’s reaction one week after the air strikes against US forces in Iraq. Former Kremlin advisor Alexander Nekrassov looks at President Putin’s big plan for the future leadership of R...

This week Sitrep takes an in-depth look at the Iran-US crisis, Was it a bad decision by the United States?  Should the UK's foreign policy should be aligned so closely with America's? How have Europe & Russia reacted to the rising tensions? And where does this leave British and American troops based in Iraq and what are the longer-term consequences for the Middle East? That’s all in this week’s Si...

BRIXMIS was a unit of the British Army set up at the end of the Second World War as part of a liaison mission between the wartime allies: Britain, France, America, and The Soviet Union. BRIXMIS stands for the 'British Commander-in-Chief’s Mission to the Soviet Forces in Germany'. However, BRIXMIS rapidly became, in common with United States (USMLM) and French Allied Military Liaison Missions (FMLM...

So what’s the state of British Defence as 2019 draws to a close?  That’s the question being asked on Sitrep this week as Britain’s newly elected government goes to work. In an extended programme, Kate Gerbeau and Christopher Lee will be joined by a panel of experts to assess current and future security threats to the UK and NATO. They’ll also be looking ahead to Brexit, the US Presidential electio...

Did major allies fail to tell the truth about the state of the war in Afghanistan?  The former ambassador to Afghanistan, Sir William Patey, gives us his unique perspective. Russia and Ukraine talk peace, but is President Putin listening? Jonathan Eyal ,International Director at the Royal United Services Institute, discusses the ceasefire. BFBS Reporter Rebecca Ricks has a special report from Port...

The Royal British Legion has  launched its own manifesto asking what’s in the general election for service people and veterans? Happy Birthday NATO, but not everyone’s celebrating. And why is NATO still obsessed with the threat from Russia but forgetting all about Libya? Follow us @bfbssitrep

As Nato celebrates its 70th birthday, Sitrep looks ahead to next week’s summit hosted in the UK with Elizabeth Braw from the Royal United Services Institute, Professor Scott Lucas from the University of Birmingham, and former director general of RUSI, Professor Michael Clarke. A new report says that Russia could ‘outgun’ the UK on the battlefield, Professor Michael Clarke looks at the evidence. Th...

The Duke of York steps down from public duties, but what does it mean for his military roles?  BFBS reporter Claire Sadler and royal historian Christopher Lee look back on his military career and achievements. Chris Curtis, the Political Research Manager at YouGov, tells us how defence and security rate as an issue for voters ahead of the General Election. And we find out what Labour,  the Lib Dem...

Why does French President Emmanuel Macron think NATO is suffering brain death and that Europe should be more powerful?  Find out what the two main party leaders are saying about the main defence and security issues on the campaign trail.  We talk to The Times' defence correspondent Lucy Fisher. And, remembering Lord Bramall -  looking back at a long & distinguished military career from D-Day to Ho...

Jonathan Eyal, International Director at the Royal United Services Institute, explains why a report into Russian interference with British politics hasn’t been published.   Sitrep talks to the former Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon as he steps down from political life.   It’s 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, Sitrep hears from former British Army spy Dave Butler who worked on the BR...

For years he’s been the world’s most wanted terrorist. Now Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead. In this week’s Sitrep, we examine the implications of the death of the IS leader, and what’s likely to happen next with Fawaz Gerges, professor of international relations at the London School of Economics and Professor Michael Clarke, former director-general of the Royal United Services Institute. After months...

People all over the world are taking to the streets in protest against their governments for different reasons.  Professor Paul Rogers from the University of Bradford explains why this is happening now and what it could mean for the future. President Trump is pulling America out of the Paris climate change agreement. Paul Osbourne explains what the Australian newspaper black-out has to do with def...

President Donald Trump says the crisis which has followed the withdrawal of US troops from Syria is not America's fight.  As Russian forces appear to fill the void left we talk to Mary Dejevsky about why this is a good and bad situation for President Putin.  Simon Marks gives us the low down on the Republican vote, supported by some Democrats, condemning Trump's decision on Syria and the increasin...

Turkish forces are stepping up air strikes and a ground offensive, as their incursion in Kurdish-held areas of northern Syria continues. It follows the withdrawal of US troops, who fought alongside Kurdish forces in north-east Syria against so-called Islamic State.  Former soldier and Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely joins us along with former US intelligence officer Michael Pregent. The American press...

An RAF pilot has been selected to join Virgin Orbit's small satellite launch programme on secondment Brexit is four weeks away, so what preparations are being made for any potential civil disobedience and will the military be involved?  Hiding in plain sight Exercise Iron Viper challenges the art of camouflage in an urban environment. As the violence in Hong Kong gets worse we speak to Professor S...

We are joined by Professors Paul Rogers and Michael Clarke to talk the constitution, law and the military after this week's Supreme Court decision.   Can climate change send us to war? Forces News has been given exclusive access to a sniper course and Amy Wiltshire has been speaking to one of the them about their job. And soldiers jumping ship to join the Royal Navy. Follow us on twitter @bfbssitr...

Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has praised the military at a Downing Street reception for the Armed Forces. The Iran/Saudi stand off continues but what does this mean for the US we hear from experts Dan Plesch and Mike Evans.  Two former paratroopers who took the Ministry of Defence to a tribunal were subject to "highly offensive" racial harassment, an employment judge has ruled.  Why is this still...

This week the First Sea Lord is at DSEI as the MOD announce Babcock will build the new Type 31 frigates. Police chiefs in Northern Ireland say a bomb in Londonderry was built with the aim of killing police officers.  We talk to the Chair of the Police Federation of Northern Ireland Mark Lindsay. We are joined by Dr Karin Von Hippel, the Director General of RUSI to talk about the sacking of the US...