BFBS Radio Sitrep

4.8 (51)
NEWS COMMENTARY
UPDATED WEEKLY

Award winning Sitrep brings you discussion and analysis on defence, foreign policy and the stories affecting the British Forces. Presented by Kate Gerbeau, with expert analysis from Professor Michael Clarke.

2 DAYS AGO

Billions more for the Armed Forces… but spend it wisely

We now have a deadline for the UK to spend 2.5% of national income on defence and it’s much sooner than anyone expected. But cash doesn’t just turn into military might. There are many things you could spend it on. People? Hardware? Training? The real question is what you should spend it on, for the right capabilities at the right times. There are urgent priorities to rapidly improve defence of our own doorstep as the US pulls back, but we still need to plan for long term battle-winning edge. Professor Michael Clarke explains why ‘invisible’ capabilities will be favoured over heavy metal, while Matthew Savill from RUSI assesses how hard it will be to deliver the Defence Secretary’s priority of “arresting the long-term fall in numbers of service personnel”.

37 min
2 DAYS AGO · BONUS

EXTRA – Defence spending lessons from the Cold War

In the 1970’s and 1980’s the UK typically spent 4-5% of its national income on Defence, but what did that money buy and what did our Armed Forces spend their time doing? Kate Gerbeau and Professor Michael Clarke talk to historian Ian J Sanders, host of the Cold War Conversations podcast, for a history lesson on how we deployed our military capability to protect Europe from a Russian led threat. Times may have changed a lot, countries like Poland and Estonia which were part of the enemy bloc back then are now staunch allies who we help defend, but some things stay the same. So Kate, Mike and Ian assess what lessons we should be taking right now from our victory in the Cold War. [You can see more about the work of British forces in the cold war in our series Real Cold War Spies: BRIXMIS - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeQQkbf45pQM7fhBI5Lv_DvSanxy-bfw0] [You can listen to Ian’s podcast Cold War Conversations here - https://coldwarconversations.com/]

14 min
20 FEB

Britain prepares for possible boots in Ukraine

Despite the many uncertainties about a possible peace-deal for Ukraine, Britain’s Defence Secretary says the detail is being developed for a European led security guarantee. Former head of the Army General Lord Dannatt warns that while the Prime Minister is ready and willing to commit British troops, the Army is willing but not ready. Sitrep assesses how many people and what equipment it might be required, exactly what the role of such a force could be, how long it might be needed for, and what alternatives there are to international ground troops. Plus Professor Michael Clarke explains how the Sir Keir Starmer will try to persuade President Trump to commit a US backstop that would support Ukraine’s security from outside its territory.

34 min
13 FEB

Talking or fighting – which is better for Ukraine?

Donald Trump’s tried to take Ukraine’s future out of its own hands by opening negotiations with Russia, and telling Kyiv that NATO membership and getting all of its land back are hopeless ambitions. So what should Ukraine do now? Could focussing on the fight still improve its negotiating position, or has it reached its high watermark in the war? Professor Michael Clarke and retired General Sir Richard Shirreff assess the battlefield balance of power. America’s Defence Secretary says “stark strategic realities prevent the United States from being primarily focused on Europe”. The UK’s stepping up as the US steps back, but how much more will we do to lead from the front? And as some of the world’s most powerful defence and security figures gather at the Munich Security Conference Sitrep explains why this private talking shop has become a marketplace for some of the world’s most consequential decisions.

42 min
6 FEB

Could a defence deal with the EU boost Britain’s military capability?

Keir Starmer wants a post-brexit reset with the EU, and he thinks it should start with “an ambitious partnership” on defence and security. But would it help our Armed Forces when we already have NATO? Former Army officer Ed Arnold explains how both the EU and NATO could give us more bang-for-our-buck, as well as the potential pitfalls. British troops are showing partnership in action in Estonia on NATO’s biggest cold weather exercise, Winter Camp. Sitrep hears from some of those taking part and BFBS reporter David Sivills-McCann explains what it’s all about. And 25 years since the ban on gay and bisexual people serving in the Armed Forces was lifted, the Defence Secretary who made the change talks in detail for the first time about whether the government was forced to do it, or really believed it was the right thing.

38 min
30 JAN

Defence spending – how much is enough?

Donald Trump wants NATO members to spend 5% of their national income on Defence, the UK is years away from meeting half that target. Is 5% a realistic figure, given that we did it back in the cold war, or would that simply be spending money for the sake of it? Mike does some reality checking, and Kate talks to Labour MP Luke Akehurst who says the current UK ambition of 2.5% should “just be the start of the conversation”. One demand from some who want more spent on Defence is better protection from missiles. Claire Sadler explains the options, and how far we can or can’t defeat missiles. And after the right-royal row about the renaming of a submarine, from HMS Agincourt to HMS Achilles, we explain who chooses the names of Royal Navy vessels, and how.

41 min
23 JAN

We know what you are doing…

The defence secretary John Healey sends a message to Russia’s President Putin warning him we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country. It’s after a Russian spy ship is spotted for a second time in UK waters. On Sitrep, we discuss the creeping threat of hybrid warfare. Why is the US preparing for potential conflict with China by 2027? Professor of War & Strategy in East Asia, Alessio Patalano, who’s also a visiting fellow at the Royal Navy Centre for Strategic Studies, explains the significance of the date. And it’s a highbrow, high-tech chance to hear about the latest developments in the machinery of war. Sitrep’s Claire Sadler has been at the International Armoured Vehicles conference for Sitrep.

36 min
16 JAN

Playing catch-up with Artificial Intelligence

The Ministry Of Defence is given a stark warning that it needs to play catch-up and should learn from Ukraine’s use of AI on the battlefield. So what is Ukraine using? What happens if Britain doesn’t get a grip? And what could that mean for our troops on the battlefield? Sitrep’s Ukraine reporter Simon Newton and Assistant Director of the defence team at Rand Europe, James Black, discuss the Defence Committee report. It’s the biggest step up a soldier will make in their Army career - getting their first stripe and promotion to Lance Corporal. So when Sitrep’s Sofie Cacoyannis was granted exclusive access to the selection course in Cyprus, it was a unique opportunity to record the highs and the lows of the entire 7 week experience. And what makes a good spy? We delve into the latest declassified documents with instructions on appearance, disguise and how to follow targets.

33 min

See All (1.4K)

4.8

out of 5

51 Ratings

Good analysis

1 Feb

imagehexane

Wide ranging topics, up to date and interesting. Please mute the interviewers mic - hearing them breathing in my year whilst trying to listen is very distracting!
Eye opening excellent program

31/12/2024

postmandick

Kate tweezing the best out of her interviewees All these programs help civilians understand what makes service personnel tick
Excellent programme, shame about the podcast

16/06/2019

M247A2

The Sitrep programme is excellent and I look forward to the weekly instalments as one of the highlights of my podcasting week. However, the podcast is sometimes a repeat of a previous episode or, in a recent case, a two-minute news flash rather than the programme advertised. Why does no one check this before release? For example, 13 June 2019 episode has people talking about leaving the EU on 29 March. This is presumably a repeat of an old episode, rather than the one advertised? It’s been a couple of weeks since I heard a genuine new episode now.

Award winning Sitrep brings you discussion and analysis on defence, foreign policy and the stories affecting the British Forces. Presented by Kate Gerbeau, with expert analysis from Professor Michael Clarke.