BFBS Sitrep

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 wh...

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 live...

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,...

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 tan...

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...

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 h...

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”   H...

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...

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 te...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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 Cooperatio...

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 complex...

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...

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 thos...

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 b...

The UK’s defence plans have relied, for decades, on the assumption that America will help us in a crisis.  But we can’t assume that any more, so what are those plans worth now? Sitrep explains the findings of MPs and Peers who say we must end our “deep dependence” on the US, for everything from software updates for planes to nuclear capable missiles. Former National Security adviser Lord...

20 years ago the “future infantry structure” plan provoked outrage. To reshape a shrunken army some historic regiments were amalgamated, losing names and cap badges, while others were closed altogether. Two decades later, those regiments that were created have their own histories, and bonds forged in battle.  So was the pain worth it, and with all that’s changed since is it time for another r...

Tens-of-thousands of Ukrainian troops have been trained in the UK on Operation Interflex, but Ukraine says our trainers now lack “modern combat experience”, and that the lessons would be more effective delivered at home. Simon Newton explains the practical considerations and why this will be an evolution of Op. Interflex, not an end to it. Also on Sitrep a senior Army officer blames failures to co...

There are only so many weapons in the world to go round, so the laws of supply and demand leave Ukraine struggling even more to get what it desperately needs. And Russia’s been thrown an economic lifeline by a double whammy of surging gas and oil prices, along with weakened sanctions. Professor Michael Clarke explains how all this will impact the battlefield, and Colin Freeman gives us insights fr...

The UK ramped up its air power in and around the Middle East before the Iran war, but the fact it took nearly a fortnight to deploy an air-defence destroyer has put military capability and readiness firmly in the spotlight. Sitrep explains the rhetoric and the reality as political opponents accuse the Prime Minister of failing to prepare and sitting on his hands. Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman, w...

The Royal Navy deploys a destroyer to the Mediterranean to bolster defences in the region, amidst a war in the Middle East. But HMS Dragon won’t set sail until next week and it will take days to get there. The question on most observers' lips is - why did it take so long? and is our response a bit late and a bit underwhelming?     Also on Sitrep …. What are the 6 crises predict...

As Ukraine fights its war for survival alone on the battlefield, the UK has announced new sanctions against Russia to throttle the supply of money into Putin's war machine. But can it work, and persuade Moscow to get serious about peace talks? Economist and Russia expert Timothy Ash runs us through the numbers. Defence Minister Luke Pollard tells Sitrep the UK is considering “further tactics” agai...