BFBS Sitrep

What are the priorities of the UK’s most senior military officer? Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton launches defence exhibition DSEI with a stark warning: we have to be faster than our adversaries. Sitrep looks into how we can win that race and what industry needs to do to keep up. Air Vice Marshal Gary Waterfall gives us his thoughts.

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 Gerbe...

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...

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...

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 rifle...

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 ex...

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,...

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....

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 disinfor...

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...

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 cu...

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 deploymen...

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 P...

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 Sitre...

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...