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Channel • 11 Shows

News Commentary

News Commentary

Updated weekly
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Personal Journals

Updated weekly
American Football

American Football

Updated 11/05/2021
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Parenting

Updated 01/12/2020
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History

Updated twice weekly
History

History

Updated 20/05/2021
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Careers

Updated 10/06/2024

1 DAY AGO

NATO’s big military shake-up explained

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 operations while the US leads all force components. The Chief of Defence Staff says he wants NATO postings to improve promotion prospects rather than hamper them, but what needs to change? And as the CIA shutters its publicly available “World Factbook” Mike tells us why he thinks it’s a big loss.

1 day ago

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51 min
5 FEB

Russia turns the screws on freezing Ukrainians

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 final nuclear-arms-control treaty between Russia and the US expires, Professor Michael Clarke explains why Britain’s nuclear deterrent has just become more important. And after a doubling of drone-sightings near UK military bases will new powers for the Armed Forces to shoot them down be the solution, or is that too low-tech?

5 Feb

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47 min
29 JAN

Could UK troops defend Greenland and does it even need defending?

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 it would be a worthwhile use of troops. As a project leader is sacked, and the Defence Secretary says it’s nearly “back or scrap” time for the Ajax armoured vehicle programme, former tank commander Hamish de Bretton-Gordon gives his verdict from a test drive. And Professor Michael Clarke has read the new US Defense Strategy so you don’t have to. Spoiler alert – it namechecks President Trump more than fifty times, but says nothing about troop numbers.

29 Jan

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47 min
22 JAN

Why UK defence is “uniquely vulnerable” to US threats

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, explain our Armed Forces’ dependence on the US and how it could be de-risked. It also raises yet more questions about US commitment to back any Ukraine peace plan. Sitrep shares the latest from the battlefield, and hears from Ukrainian soldiers buying kit from a new Amazon-style online store, with incentive programmes to shape and monitor how they fight.

22 Jan

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43 min
23/10/2025

Ukraine’s battle lines explained and explored

Three and a half years into Ukraine’s fight for survival against Russia, it has offered to freeze the front lines in return for peace talks. But Russia’s not biting, so Sitrep explains where those front lines are right now and where the military momentum is pressing hardest, to understand where the war might go next as winter approaches. Ukrainian journalist Roman Pahulych shares insights from his time with troops close to the front lines while John Foreman, former Defence Attaché to Kyiv, explains how new sanctions could still bite at Moscow’s military capabilities.

23/10/2025

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44 min
15 JAN

Reality bites for the future of the Armed Forces

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 ready. We’ve also learned that there isn’t a national defence plan for the event of war, but one is being worked on. Sian Grzeszczyk Melbourne explains why new rules making it easier to call up veterans are a key part of that. And Alex Baker MP tells Kate Gerbeau why she’s lobbying for a new Defence Investment and Resilience bank, and how she thinks it could ease the money worries.

15 Jan

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53 min
15 JAN · BONUS

EXTRA – Mindful Soldier, how combat offers resilience lessons for us all

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 the stories of Ash’s experiences and explains the science of how our brains manage such extreme moments. They tell Kate Gerbeau how we can all use techniques, from squaddie humour to “helicopter view”, to adapt and thrive when we face life’s challenges. (Author profits from Mindful Soldier will support the Royal British Veterans Enterprise charity, and the Gurkha Welfare Trust. It is available from their stores at https://rbveshop.org/products/mindful-soldier-ash-alexander-cooper and https://www.gwt.org.uk/ )

15 Jan · Bonus

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24 min
30/12/2025 · BONUS

The World in 2026 – Defending the UK

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 women? Former Army Officer Dominic Nicholls, now Associate Editor for Defence at The Telegraph, explains why they may be facing their biggest ask since the Falklands War.

30/12/2025 · Bonus

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9 min
13/11/2025

Pokrovsk and Perfidy

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 sharing with its US ally? And –The Army’s first new armoured fighting vehicle in 30 years – what will the deployment of Ajax mean for today’s battlefield?

13/11/2025

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37 min
20/11/2025

Protecting those who defend us

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 have confidence they won’t be dragged through inquiries, or court, for doing their job properly? Kate and Mike talk to the Reverend Nicholas Mercer, who was Commander Legal for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and former Army officer turned barrister Patrick Hennessey. They explain how legal decisions worked when they were in uniform and the need to balance protections with accountability when wrongdoing happens.

20/11/2025

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44 min

Looking for British military related content? We’re the experts. BFBS has been serving the British armed forces with audio content since 1943. Our podcasts tell incredible stories about military life, whether on or off the battlefield. We connect the British armed forces community wherever they are in the world, while keeping everyone up to date about defence.

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