BFBS

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Channel • 11 Shows

News Commentary

News Commentary

Updated weekly
History

History

Updated twice weekly
History

History

Updated 20/05/2021
History

History

Updated weekly
Careers

Careers

Updated 10/06/2024
Aviation

Aviation

Updated weekly
American Football

American Football

Updated 11/05/2021

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?

8 Jan

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44 min
24/04/2025

The military drone revolution explained

Drones have come of age in Ukraine, ruling the battlefield and overtaking artillery as the leading cause of casualties. Kate and Mike are joined by RAF veteran Dr Keith Dear to explain how small devices once designed for consumers are now not only flying spies, but also lethal weapons that have radically changed the way land battles are fought. Ukrainian drone-experts are reported to be training British troops as part of Operation Interflex. So what can we learn from their experiences, and can we be sure that drones will still be as relevant in the next war? And the founder of SYOS aerospace, which will supply £30m worth of drones to Ukraine, explains how drone-boat technology is evolving and has helped Ukraine neutralise Russia’s black sea fleet.

24/04/2025

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39 min
27/02/2025

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”.

27/02/2025

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37 min
17/04/2025

Will fighting end the Ukraine war before diplomacy?

The death and destruction in Ukraine has only intensified in the two months since Donald Trump unilaterally announced peace talks, and the one month since Ukraine offered a 30-day ceasefire. With diplomacy having delivered nothing so far Sitrep explains how the war has played out in that time, who has the battlefield momentum, and the potential paths ahead. Equipment is key to Ukraine’s chances but a leaked German assessment says high-end tanks, like the Leopard 2, sometimes cause problems rather than providing capability. Former British tank-commander Hamish de Bretton-Gordon explains why, what lessons the UK should take from this, and which tank he’d want to be in if he were in Ukraine.

17/04/2025

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44 min
13/03/2025

What would a Ukraine ceasefire look like on the battlefield?

Sitrep assesses how the 30-day ceasefire, offered by Ukraine, could work in reality. Would troops just stay in place and dig in, or might they have to pull back from a buffer zone? It is a tactical trade-off by Kyiv which gives it back US military aid and intelligence, and forces Russia onto the diplomatic back foot. Professor Michael Clarke explains which side has most to gain from a pause to rest and re-equip while former head of the Army, General Lord Dannatt, shares lessons from Bosnia suggesting even the most junior soldiers will have to fully understand the terms of any deal. Kate and Mike also talk to former UK National Security Adviser Lord Peter Ricketts to assess the UK’s role in getting to this point, and the possibility of British troops being part of any longer-term peace plan.

13/03/2025

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42 min
08/05/2025

VE Day - How did the allies win, and what are the lessons 80 years on?

Britain and its allies fought Nazi Germany for a gruelling four and a half years in all, but once allied ground troops landed in Europe, creating the Western Front, they completed the victory in just eleven months. Kate and Mike are joined by Dr Meghan Kellegher from the RAF Museum to explain the strategy which led to victory, and what the allies got wrong as well as right. VE Day wasn’t the end of World War Two. Military historian Lucy Betteridge-Dyson tells us how thousands of British troops, including her grandfather, still faced months of fierce fighting in Burma, and were still deployed two years later. And after Ukrainian troops joined UK commemorations of VE day, we ask whether the conflicts raging today could become the catalyst for a third global war, and how that risk can be minimised.

08/05/2025

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37 min
05/06/2025

SITREP LIVE – The Defence Review explained & your questions answered

It’s the new defence masterplan for the next decade and beyond, but what does the Strategic Defence Review mean for the Armed Forces? The lead military author of the review, General Sir Richard Barrons, joins a special live edition of Sitrep to explain the plan and answer your questions about how it should work. Former Royal Navy Commander Tom Sharpe adds his insights to the discussion with Kate Gerbeau and Professor Michael Clarke. The whole team will break down the big questions including the threats we face, how the job of the Armed Forces could change, and when the PM’s target of warfighting readiness can be met.

05/06/2025

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1 hr
27/11/2025

Will the Army ever be able to use Ajax?

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 for the Army. The MoD says rules of engagement have been updated after the Russian spy-ship Yantar aimed a laser at an RAF plane. From playground-games to bumper-cars, retired Commodore Steve Prest explains the options they may have taken. And can a digital-first hybrid-navy make up for gaps in the surface fleet, amid new signs of delays to the UK’s next-generation frigate?

27/11/2025

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45 min
24/07/2025

First details of a “peace force” for Ukraine

Britain and France say they’re ready to lead a multinational Ukraine Support Force, in the event of a ceasefire, with a British led two-star HQ in Kyiv and Command and Control from London or Paris. They promise air and sea policing, and logistic support on the ground. Senior RUSI researcher and former infantry officer Ed Arnold explains the thinking, and the big gaps that need to be filled. Sitrep examines the evidence that suggests American nuclear bombs have just been moved to the UK for the first time in nearly two decades, and asks whether it might just be a bluff. And one of NATO’s top research scientists tells us how quantum computing could revolutionise military capability, while it threatens to make some current tech useless.

24/07/2025

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41 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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