BFBS Sitrep

The Prime Minister says we are going to have to spend more, faster, on defence.  But his government hasn’t even decided how it will spend the money already in the budget, despite  promising the plan months ago. Sitrep explains why the growing delays are a big problem for some defence firms, and therefore the Armed Forces they supply, as the ADS trade body tells us small busines...

The Prime Minister chose a stage in front of dozens of fellow world leaders to announce he’s sending HMS Prince of Wales to lead a carrier strike group to the arctic. But why? The US changed it’s tone towards Europe, but not it’s criticisms, after last year’s bombshell speech by J.D. Vance. And President Zelensky told the world that Ukraine will only accept a “real” peace. Simon Newton and Profess...

A reshuffle of who-commands-what in NATO puts a British General in charge of the only NATO operation on US soil, while an American will take over at Maritime Command in the UK. Tim Henry explains all about the UK’s new command in Norfolk, Virginia, from his time as Deputy Commander there, and former senior NATO official Jamie Shea explains the wider moves to put Europeans in charge of joint operat...

Despite temperatures below -20C attacks are targeting not just electricity and gas infrastructure in Ukraine, but heating plants which supply thousands of homes at a time. Is there any military logic or justification? Colin Freeman updates us from the city of Kharkiv, and Simon Newton explains how the extreme cold affects everything from drone batteries to the targeting of artillery shells. As the...

Much buzz about a possible NATO Arctic Sentry operation helped calm Donald Trump’s talk of taking over Greenland, and the UK is one of the big backers. But do we have enough troops properly trained to operate in some of the world’s harshest conditions   Ex-Royal Marine Tip Cullen shares the hard realities, including freezing eyeballs, while former Infantry officer Ed Arnold assesses whether i...

Donald Trump crossed a line by threatening economic warfare against the UK and other allies. He may have backed down, for now, but former Defence Secretary Sir Ben Wallace says we should be preparing for the potential of the US turning its back on NATO.   From nuclear missiles, to fighter jets and spare parts Professor Michael Clarke and Matthew Savill, a former policy chief in the MoD, expla...

The Chief of Defence Staff refuses to say cuts are coming, but has confirmed there isn’t enough money for everything they want to do to make the Armed Forces war-ready and transformed for a high-tech future.  Professor Michael Clarke and former RAF Deputy Director of Operations Greg Bagwell explain the “hard choices” once again facing defence, with the vital Defence Investment Plan still not...

In his 22 year army career Ash Alexander-Cooper was shot multiple times, targeted by a suicide bomber, and caught in numerous explosions.   But he has taken those traumatic moments, learnt from them, and now uses those experiences to help others with leadership and resilience. Now he’s teamed up with leading neuropsychologist Dr Jessica Miller for a new book, “Mindful Soldier”, which tells th...

Denmark says US threats to take Greenland by force would ‘end’ NATO.   Does NATO have any plan to deal with an ally-on-ally attack?  Which side would the UK take if it happened? Or is it all just about Trump’s “art of the deal”?  Former UK ambassador to NATO Lord Ricketts shares his insights. The US was said to have finally offered a security backstop for Ukraine when...

It’s seven years since the jihadists’ caliphate was brought to a complete end, but IS continues to attack in Syria and there are signs of a potential resurgence. The RAF and French Air Force have just bombed what they believe was an underground weapons and explosives store. Yet the US led coalition against IS, including the UK’s Operation Shader, is supposed to be winding down in 2026. Dr. Charlie...

The outcome of the Ukraine war is arguably the most immediate key to our security in the UK, and if the fighting ends our Armed Forces may be sent to Ukraine to secure not just its future but also ours. At the same time the Chief of Defence Staff has warned we all need to be prepared for the possibility of war coming to the UK. So what kind of year does this set out for Britain’s servicemen and wo...

President Trump’s “America First” agenda has now been translated into an official security strategy with Europe at the bottom of the list. Will that mean big moves of US military capability away from Europe in 2026, even as war rages in Ukraine? How should the rest of NATO adapt, and how will Russia respond? Retired US Lieutenant General Ben Hodges explains the picture right now, and how it could...

China is the world’s fastest growing military power and likes to keep the world guessing. Might it use that military power against Taiwan in 2026, or will this standoff remain the dog that doesn’t bark? Will the crisis between Japan and China remain a diplomatic one, or could harsh words become hard action? And might tensions in the South China Sea boil over? Dr Zeno Leoni, author of “Grand Strate...

Britain’s Armed Forces go into 2026 with two big missions, become war-ready and transform for a high-tech future. There’s also the possibility of being deployed to Ukraine, if and when the fighting ends, and as always responding to unexpected events. Retired General Sir Richard Barrons, one of the authors of the Strategic Defence Review, explains the tasks, challenges, and events that will face se...

Global tensions are high going into 2026, but will they tip over into fighting and if so, where? Could a battered and bruised Iran hit back against the US and Israel? Will we face a resurgence of jihadist terrorism? And after the most serious clash between India and Pakistan for half a century in 2025, what could be the big surprise of the next 12 months? Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor for The Eco...

Could hundreds or thousands of British troops be sent to Ukraine to support a peace plan in 2026? If there’s no deal how can Ukraine turn the tide of Russian gains? And where in the world might we see a new major conflict break out? Sitrep brings together some of the finest minds in defence to assess what the year ahead holds. Will Moldova suffer a stealth invasion of “little green men”? Would we...

Donald Trump’s new National Security Strategy prioritises improving relations with Russia and China, while calling for resistance to “weak leaders” in Europe. Professor Michael Clarke explains why he thinks this will embolden Russia rather than giving it an incentive to de-escalate, and former US State Department insider Dr Karin von Hippel assesses what it could mean for the US military footprint...

When a Greek military coup and Turkish invasion plunged Cyprus into a bloody conflict, more than 30,000 British military personnel and their dependents were caught up in the crisis. They didn’t want to be part of the fighting, but came perilously close to being dragged in, more than once. Kate Gerbeau talks to historian Andrew Southam about his new book, which sheds new light on those events and h...

The Royal Navy is “vulnerable to promoting toxic leaders”.  This is not a warning from a pressure group, or a critical MPs report, it has come from the new First Sea Lord. Former Royal Navy Commander Tom Sharpe shares personal experiences to explain why and how leadership assessment could be overhauled, and how he thinks it can learn from civilian organisations. Germany is spending big o...

Just two weeks after being declared safe, with a squadron ready to go, a “Do Not Use” order has been issued for Ajax armoured vehicles, because of more noise and vibration injuries. James Wharton from BFBS Forces News, who used to drive the vehicles Ajax is supposed to replace, reveals the levels of concern among troops and Professor Michael Clarke explains why this is looking like a huge problem...

Investigations into past actions by British forces, from Northern Ireland to Afghanistan, are damaging morale, leading some to quit the forces, and threatening our national security.  So said 8 retired generals and a retired Air Marshal in an open letter calling on the government to “restore legal clarity” with a “new honest framework” Sitrep asks how do we can ensure servicemen and women hav...

As Russian troops battle to secure their most significant gain in Ukraine in over a yar – we look at how they’re drawing on deception tactics from the second world war. Also, the world’s largest warship arrives in the Caribbean as the US continues to strike suspected drugs-trafficking boats in the region  – have concerns over the legality of that action led Britain to stop some intelligence s...

Donald Trump’s suggested the US could restart explosive tests of nuclear weapons, after more than 30 years. Is this a symptom of a nuclear arms race already underway, or could it kickstart one? William Alberque, who has played a leading role in NATO’s nuclear policies, and Jon Wolfsthal who advised President Obama, share their thoughts on whether the US is about to break a global ban on detonation...

The multibillion-pound deal to deliver nuclear powered submarines for the UK and Australia is facing questions just four years into the decades long plan.   In the UK there are amber and red warnings for building the boats and propulsion systems, for its part the US is struggling to build enough Virginia class subs, and Australia faces a monumental challenge to be ready for its first nuclear...

Mike and Sian talk to Bernard Cornwell, creator of Napoleonic Wars Rifleman Richard Sharpe and Uhtred, the unforgettable hero of the Last Kingdom series. Bernard tells Sitrep about the 25th Sharpe novel, Sharpe’s Storm, his admiration for today’s armed forces and why he wouldn’t want to write about any modern day conflicts. He also reveals he’s writing a new book about Uhtred and lifts the lid on...