BFBS Sitrep

BFBS

4.8 (59)
NEWS COMMENTARY
UPDATED WEEKLY

Award winning Defence podcast from BFBS.

6 DAYS AGO

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.

43 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.

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/ )

24 min
8 JAN

WTAF? Would Trump actually fight (for Greenland)?

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 the UK and France formally signed-off their intent to put boots on the ground for any peace deal. But when you look at the detail, is there anything actually new there? And why did a fleet of US special-operations aircraft fly into the UK this week? Was it just for the seizure of an oil-tanker, might it have something to do with Iran, or is it all an attempt to distract from something else?

44 min
8 JAN · BONUS

EXTRA – Is the Islamic State terror group making a comeback in Syria?

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 Winter, chief research officer of the intelligence platform ExTrac, explains how the fall of President Assad has allowed IS a year of rebuilding, and why the US and UK should not take their eyes off the ball.

17 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.

9 min
29/12/2025 · BONUS

The World in 2026 – The US and NATO

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 change over the next year.

16 min
28/12/2025 · BONUS

The World in 2026 – China rising and Asia tensions

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 Strategy and The Rise of China” and a lecturer at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, shares his thoughts on what lies ahead.

14 min

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4.8

out of 5

59 Ratings

Good analysis but mute Kate’s mic!

23/08/2025

imagehexane

Wide ranging topics, up to date and interesting. Please mute Kate’s mic - hearing her breathing in my ear 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.