BFBS Radio Sitrep

Sitrep goes on board a Royal Navy P2000 patrol boat, on exercise Tamber Shield, off the coast of Norway.

David Sivills-McCann gives us an insight into the action, and Professor Michael Clarke explains why these boats, some of the smallest Royal Navy vessels, are key to defending the UK.

A prototype of the RAF’s next generation fighter jet, Tempest, is expected to fly in just three years time. Air Commodore Martin Lowe, who leads the programme for the RAF, tells us how the journey from concept to reality is going.

And the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for Women, Peace & Security, Irene Fellin, tells Sitrep how the new Allied Reaction Force must not just be ready to fight, but also to protect civilians.

Tempest will be the RAF’s next generation fighter jet, and the heart of the new Future Combat Air System.

After a decade of conceptual development work is now underway to turn it into reality, with a first prototype due to fly in around 3 years.

Will it really be equipped with laser weapons or brain scanners in the pilot’s helmet? That’s still secret, but Sitrep has been told the much of the initial design is now locked down.

Air Commodore Martin Lowe talks us through the progress so far, and tackles the tough question of whether it can truly be delivered on time and on budget ready for service in little more than a decade.

Rishi Sunak has pledged tens of billions of pounds to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence by 2030, but how much will it improve our military capability?

Professor Michael Clarke explains why the extra cash will probably be used to firm up our forces rather than making them bigger, and we fact check how much of the £75m figure given by the Prime Minister is actually new money.

Months after US military supplies to Ukraine effectively dried up the Washington deadlock is broken. But what will the new $60bn package deliver, when, and how much difference can it make to the war?

And we hear from the London Defence Tech Hackathon where coders, engineers, and businesses had a direct line to Ukrainian soldiers on the battlefield as they tried some rapid problem solving for the troops.

RAF Typhoons fired in defence of Israel as part of a multi-national operation to stop Iran’s onslaught with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones. A former fighter pilot tells Sitrep about the threats posed to pilots.

The Armed Forces put a lot of effort into leadership training. But what about the other side of the coin – followers? The Centre for Army Leadership has been researching a concept called Followership – Sitrep discovers how it could benefit the service.

When a tank was found on the seabed off Devon in the 1980s it brought worldwide attention to a highly secretive but tragic exercise of the Second World War. 

Thousands of American troops trained along Slapton Sands to prepare for the D-Day landings in Normandy but a tragic turn of events meant hundreds of US Army and Navy personnel lost their lives. Sitrep’s Briohny Williams has been there ahead of the 80^th anniversary.

The Armed Forces put a lot of effort into leadership training, but have they lost sight of the people who are led?

The Army’s been researching the concept of followership, how it could benefit the service become part of its culture.

But what is followership, is it really different from the results of good leadership, and can it be part of an organisation that relies on command?

Sitrep talks to Lieutenant Colonel Dean Canham from the Centre For Army Leadership, and one of the leading experts on followership, Barbara Kellerman.

Defence Procurement minister James Cartlidge tells Sitrep the history of armed forces having “kit that let them down” keeps him awake at night. But he has a plan to fix the problems.

He tells Kate Gerbeau about the changes aimed at delivering equipment on time, and on budget, while Professor Michael Clarke assesses whether it will give troops what they need, when they need it.

We also look up close at one of those big procurement projects, as Sitrep’s David Sivills-McCann visits the under-construction Type 26 frigate HMS Cardiff.

Israel has sacked two officers over the air-strike that killed seven aid workers in Gaza, which it calls a ‘grave accident’. Sitrep explains the process of ‘deconfliction’ that should have prevented it from happening. 

British servicemen and women rely on having the right kit to do their jobs, and protect their lives at the front line, but MPs says the process of buying that equipment is broken.

Sitrep talks to Defence Procurement Minister James Cartlidge about his new plan to fix long delays, multi-billion pound overspends, and hopelessly overoptimistic ideas.

A new integration authority can veto plans that don’t work across all three services, equipment will be put into service earlier in development, and exportability will also be a priority.

But governments have struggled with these procurement problems for decades, so will this plan finally deliver the forces the kit they need, when they need it, or will the “legion stories of kit that let them down” continue?

Troops and hardware which Russia’s been holding in reserve have been moved to the 600-mile-long front line, and handful of local armoured offensives point to the start of a wider push.

Sitrep’s Professor Michael Clarke explains how Moscow wants to exploit Ukraine’s ammunition shortages, while Kyiv tries to keep the initiative by forcing Russia’s hand, and journalist Tom Mutch tells us what he saw and heard visiting frontline troops.

RAF airdrops have delivered tonnes of urgent food aid to Gaza in operations that carry risks both for the aircrew and civilians on the ground. Retired Air Vice Marshal Sean Bell explains how it’s done.

And is the mysterious Havana Syndrome, suffered by hundreds of US diplomats and spies, linked to the Salisbury poisonings? Hamish de Bretton-Gordon assesses new findings which claim the same Russian military intelligence unit is behind both.

Sitrep hears from Kupiansk, celebrated as a significant victory when it was liberated a year and a half ago, but in Russian sights once again as Moscow tries a new push forward.

Ukraine’s troops trying to hold firm are hampered by artillery shortages, they’ve been rationing shells for months, but have turned to small drones to fill at least some of the gap.

Journalist Tom Mutch tells us about his visit to Kupiansk, how the soldiers are coping, what they’re expecting, and how he was surprised by their morale.

From submariners at sea for months at a time, to soldiers living and working on Russia’s doorstep, the new Wider Service Medal is intended to recognise “crucial operational impact” without the risks to life faced in combat. 

Some say it’s long overdue, others call it a medal for “just turning up”. We ask a former head of the Army, General Lord Dannatt, whether this is devaluing medals or valuing people.

Amid warnings we need to be ready for war Sitrep’s James Wharton explains how Iraq shaped the Army of today, and Professor Michael Clarke assesses whether counter-insurgency has bent our warfighting capability out of shape.

And as the Apache mark-1 retires we reflect on two decades of service from this attack helicopter which looks like a giant menacing insect, and hear what its successor can do.

Emergency calls from any vessel under attack in the Red Sea are handled thousands of miles away, in Portsmouth, by a Royal Navy supported control centre.

Sitrep’s Tim Cooper is one of the first ever journalists to visit the UKMTO, where calls have soared by 475% as missile and drone attacks from Yemen are launched on average once every two days.

Also on Sitrep, after the Defence Secretary’s plane had its navigation system jammed by Russia, we explain the risks from electronic warfare and what we can do about them.

And the Army’s teamed up with McLaren to learn from Formula 1 electric vehicle technology. We ask former Defence Sustainability adviser Lieutenant General Richard Nugee whether electric vehicles really could rule the battlefield.

Wargaming is about as old as war itself, but in a time many describe as “pre-war” how can it help us be ready for the worst, if it happens?

Sitrep talks to the UK’s Assistant Head of Defence Wargaming, Captain Eugene Morgan, who’s charged with building British wargaming capacity and capability “to make better decisions for defence”

He explains how it’s already used, and what the future may hold, while former US Army soldier Anna Nettleship shares wargaming stories from her new career as a leading researcher in the field.

Plus Sitrep’s James Hirst tries his hand at some simple wargaming with students at Kings College London.

Russia has published the recording of a meeting between senior German air-force officers, revealing military and political secrets about British, French and German support to Ukraine.

Former Army intelligence officer Colonel Philip Ingram tells Sitrep it comes down to people being the weakest link, and that we shouldn’t dismiss it as “just a German problem”.

United Nations peacekeeping troops have now been in Cyprus for 60 years. Professor Michael Clarke explains why hundreds of British soldiers still serve on that operation, while Sitrep’s Sofie Cacoyannis takes her father back to where he lived when the peacekeepers arrived.

And we talk to Rear Admiral Antonette Wemyss-Gorman about her journey to becoming the world’s only female Chief of Defence Staff and the Jamaica Defence Force’s close ties with the UK.

Every single country in the world allows women to serve in at least some military roles, but only one has a woman at the very top of its Armed Forces.

Jamaica’s Chief of Defence Staff, Rear Admiral Antonette Wemyss-Gorman, was appointed in 2022 and is only the second woman in history to hold such a role (Slovenia appointed a female chief of defence for two years in 2018).

Rear Admiral Wemyss-Gorman talks to Kate Gerbeau about her rise through the ranks across three decades, how male military leaders around the world react to her, and how the UK can learn from her approach to changing culture.

She also shares memories of her officer training at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth (cold apparently), and the value she places on the Jamaica Defence Force’s close ties with the UK.

Six NATO submarines, accompanied by ships and aircraft, are playing a giant military game of hide and seek in the Mediterranean.

NATO’s Commander Submarines, U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Thomas Wall, tells us more about exercise Dynamic Manta, and Sitrep’s Claire Sadler explains what life is like onboard one of those subs.

Vladimir Putin claims Russia now has the initiative in the Ukraine war – is he right? Professor Michael Clarke and Simon Newton explain the current battlefield picture, and Colin Freeman gives a first-hand account from one of Russia’s next targets.

And why do so many British people say they would refuse to fight for their country, despite most believing war is a real possibility within the next decade. Matt Smith from YouGov talks us through their latest research.

Britain has spent seven billion pounds over the last two years, equipping Ukraine’s armed forces to help keep them in the fight against Russia.

On the second anniversary of the full-scale invasion Sitrep talks to Major General Anna-Lee Reilly and Andy Start from Defence Equipment and Support about how that’s been done, and what lies ahead.

Denmark’s decided to give its entire artillery stock to Ukraine and appealed to others to do the same. Professor Michael Clarke explains the pros and cons.

And thousands of people are asking the government to rethink its New Accommodation Offer for the forces. Sitrep explains the plan to “modernise eligibility” for service family accommodation, and why there are losers as well as winners.

For the second time in a row a Royal Navy test firing of an unarmed Trident missile has ended in failure.

The government says it was an “anomaly” and that it has “absolute confidence” in the nuclear deterrent, but it hasn’t explained why the missile failed.

It’s called the ultimate insurance policy, but can it still deter Russia after two very public failures?

Professor Michael Clarke explains what could have gone wrong, why the government insists we can have confidence, and whether it’s just an embarrassment or a serious worry.

Donald Trump’s talk of telling President Putin to “do whatever the hell he wants” to NATO allies who “don’t pay” has been called unhinged, but he could be President again.

So Sitrep examines if Europe could defend itself against Russia without American support, if it really came to that.  

Professor Michael Clarke and Simon Newton explain how European military capability compares to Russia’s and former NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller gives an alliance insider's view.

Also on Sitrep we’re at Marchwood sea loading centre as hundreds of British military vehicles head to NATO’s biggest exercise in decades.

And the former climate-change champion for defence, Lieutenant General Richard Nugee, talks us through the practicalities of getting militaries to do more for the environment.

Sitrep gets unprecedented access to the heart of the UK’s military spying operation. 

Sian Grzeszczyk tells all, including the crashed Russian drones being disassembled by Defence Intelligence, how its analysts uncovered an arms-for-horses deal between Moscow and North Korea, and why it really does all look like a James Bond lair.

As MP’s say we must choose between more money for the forces or limiting their workload, former National Security Adviser Lord Ricketts tells Sitrep training foreign forces and Cyprus peacekeeping could be cut to concentrate on better warfighting capability. 

And we meet Turbo, the RAF’s new Typhoon display pilot, to talk negative-G, slow passes, and wowing the crowds.

Boris Johnson has called for the UK to bring back National Service. Sweden did just that seven years ago to solve its military recruitment crisis, and Germany’s looking at the idea.

Sitrep talks to Swedish defence expert Elisabeth Braw and former Welsh Guards officer Nicholas Drummond about whether it’s the answer for the UK’s depleted Armed Forces.

Iran’s ‘axis of resistance’ has carried out regular strikes against US forces in the middle east for months now. Sitrep explains who these militias are, and why Iran is helping them.

And as President Putin visits the small isolated Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, Mark Galeotti explains why some think it could be the place where war with NATO begins.

Strategic command, like the three single services, is deemed important enough to our defence to merit its own Chief of Staff.

General Sir James Hockenhull tells Sitrep about the organisation that he leads and its mission to help the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force be the best they can be.

From medical services to digital networks, cyber to intelligence, Strategic Command provides joint capabilities for all of the services, and is also tasked with developing new ones.

General Hockenhull talks to Sian Grzeszczyk about briefing the Prime Minister at the moment war began in Ukraine, why he sees himself as an accidental general, and why he chose not to apply for the very top job in Britain’s armed forces.

Sir Iain Duncan Smith has been a Conservative MP for more than 30 years, and led his party from 2001 to 2003.

In parliament he’s a vocal contributor on defence, security, and international issues. 

His criticism of China’s government is so vocal the country has placed sanctions against him and his family.

He tells Sitrep why he believes China is a threat to the UK, not just a ‘challenge’ as it is officially deemed, how his military service shaped his political ambitions, and whether he’d join the “too small” armed forces of today.

Tens of thousands of people around the world have seen the moment one Royal Navy minehunter reversed into another in Bahrain, doing millions of pounds worth of damage.

Former Royal Navy Commodore Alistair Halliday talks us through the range of technical and human factors which could explain why HMS Chiddingfold went backwards instead of ahead.

The Chief of General Staff wants the UK to train up a “citizen army” to be ready for war. Mike explains why this doesn’t have to mean conscription, and former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith gives us his reaction.

And are killer robots an inevitability in the future of war? Someone who’s helped shape UK policy on autonomous weapons tells us why he’s written a novel to warn about the risks of science-fiction becoming lethal-fact.

The Defence Secretary warns of tough times ahead...we look at those warnings but also hear from another of Britain’s most senior military chiefs who has a more hopeful message. The Head of Stratcom rarely speaks to the media, but we hear his take on the state of the world.

Also on Sitrep Is diplomacy still a thing? Does it achieve anything? We speak to a former Army Officer who’s worked as a defence attaché representing the UK in 25 countries.

And what do the Houthis actually have in their arsenal?....plenty, according to an expert on the group that’s still causing chaos in the Red Sea.

Under the sea, in charge of a multi-million pound boat, and the safety of your crew, there is a lot that can go very wrong.

Ryan Ramsay has lived it all, then trained his successors both in how to avoid those disasters, and to cope if they do strike.

In his new book ‘A View From Below’ he shares the inside story how submarine captains are trained, the impossible scenarios they’re faced with in a real sub, and stories of simulated emergency suddenly becoming the real thing.

He tells Kate Gerbeau why he turned those experiences into life-lessons that we can all use, what he learned from his most perilous moment in command of HMS Turbulent, and whether any of it helps him on the football pitch while refereeing.

The First Sea Lord has been asked for a plan to “take forward” the work of the Royal Marines, as ministers effectively confirm they’re again reconsidering the future of the corps’ two amphibious assault ships.

Professor Michael Clarke explains what’s going on, and former Royal Marines Commandant General, Major General Buster Howes, tells Sitrep the Defence Secretary needs to think “very very carefully”.

The Defence Secretary tells the world “watch this space” for possible reprisal strikes against Houthis firing missiles at the Red Sea. British Sailors are already on constant watch there, and former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe explains what they experience when missiles and drones are incoming.

And how do you learn to command a multi-million pound military craft in an environment less explored than space? Ryan Ramsay who used to lead the Royal Navy’s submarine command course shares stories of near misses, pushing people beyond their limits, and how he’s turned it all into life lessons for a new book.

Could more British troops be sent to Eastern Europe, or as peacekeepers in the Middle East? Will Donald Trump return to the White House, and would it guarantee defeat for Ukraine? And where in the world might the next war break out?

Kate Gerbeau and Professor Michael Clarke take on the big questions about what’s in store for our defence and security in 2024.

They hear from the UK’s top military officers, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, General Sir Patrick Sanders, Admiral Sir Ben Key and Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton, who tell us what they’ll be working on in 2024.

And some of Sitrep’s expert guests from the last year share their thoughts to help explain what might happen in the next 12 months.

The Defence Secretary has called the Army’s ban on beards for most soldiers “ridiculous and outdated”, as the Chief of General Staff reviews the rules.

Kate and Mike are joined by former Chief of Defence People, Lieutenant General James Swift, to discuss whether facial hair really matters to recruitment, discipline and operational effectiveness.

The next head of the Army has been named as General Sir Roly Walker, so Sitrep takes a look through his CV to see what experience he brings, and explains the challenges he’s taking on.

And we go into The Valley of Death with the Welsh Cavalry, on a unique desert exercise where unseen controllers keep changing the game to push troops to their very limits.

HMS Diamond has been sent to the Red Sea after missile and drone attacks against British owned cargo vessels, and RAF spy-planes have been deployed to search for hostages held in Gaza.

Professor Michael Clarke and former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe explain what these assets and personnel can achieve, the limitations & risks of their missions, and the possibility of more UK military capability joining them.

Sitrep also looks at another big deployment much closer to home, a new Royal Navy task group trying to protect critical undersea power and data cables, alongside European allies.

And does military history repeat itself, or just rhyme? Kate talks to military historian Lucy Betteridge-Dyson, General Sir Mike Jackson and General Lord Richards about how the study of past conflicts shapes the wars of today.

Sitrep’s Simon Newton has just returned from Ukraine - he reports for Sitrep from a drone testing centre where new models are trialled before being used in combat.

Sitrep also hears from the former Champion Boxer, and now Mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko, on his country’s will to resist.

Also on Sitrep, as tensions remain high in the Middle East, Britain deploys a Type 45 Destroyer HMS Diamond to the Gulf and America sends the USS Eisenhower through the Strait of Hormuz. 

Sitrep looks at how Aircraft carriers are used to deploy both hard and soft power and hears from the Commanding Officer of the UK’s biggest warship HMS Prince of Wales.

Cyber-warfare was is no longer simply science-fiction, it is now a military fact that hits hard.

 Military communications, power systems and nuclear processing plants have all been taken offline in recent years by purely digital attacks.

 The UK’s capability for this domain sits in the National Cyber Force, created three years ago as part of Strategic Command, bringing together military and intelligence teams for both defensive and offensive cyber operations.

 Kate Gerbeau talks to Lieutenant General Tom Copinger-Symes, the Deputy Commander of Stratcom, about the cyber threats the UK faces and how the force is tackling them.

As winter sweeps across Ukraine the ideal window for its counter-offensive is now closed, with seemingly minimal gains from five months of hard fighting.

 So what happens next? Sitrep assesses whether Ukraine has another chance for a significant fightback next year, and if so how it could do that.

Professor Michael Clarke, Ukrainian researcher Mariia Zolkina, and former infantry officer Ed Arnold discuss the military options, and we hear from Kyiv about the mood there.

And we get an insight into one of Britain’s newest military units, the National Cyber Force, from Lieutenant General Tom Copinger-Symes who oversees their defensive and offensive operations.

Every single country in the UN is signed up to the same laws of war, but Israel’s military campaign in Gaza is reminding us interpretations of those laws often differ.

In this extra Sitrep podcast Kate Gerbeau talks to Rev. Nicholas Mercer, who was the British Army’s top legal adviser in Iraq 20 years ago.

He explains the key principles that govern the legality of military action, how he applied them in the midst of battle, and how the Israel Gaza war mirrors many of the difficult decisions he faced in Basra.

The Army’s future is built around the new Ajax armoured fighting vehicle. After years of delays, faults, and even injuries to troops, ministers say the Ajax programme is now ‘in recovery’.

We take a look for ourselves, from the production line to training on Salisbury plain and hear from soldiers using the first of the vehicles.

Another cold-war treaty has collapsed. It aimed to prevent surprise attacks by limiting Russia and NATO’s options for massing their military might. We assess whether NATO will take advantage of the extra flexibility it’s just got.

Plus the British Army’s former top legal adviser in Iraq talks us through the laws of war, and how the big questions he faced in Basra 20 years ago are mirrored in Gaza right now.

Japan is one of the world’s third biggest economic power, but until now its military power has come nowhere close to matching that.

That’s changing though, with a 5-year defence-spending spree to include new counter-strike capabilities which will enable Japan to fire on enemy land for the first time since World War Two.

Kate Gerbeau talks to the author of ‘Japan as a Global Military Power’, Dr Chris Hughes, about how capable Japan’s forces already are, what the extra spending will add, and why Britain is key to Tokyo’s plan for greater military might.

He’s been called a strategic and tactical genius – but he also abandoned tens of thousands of his soldiers to their deaths.

Sitrep goes behind the Hollywood gloss of the new Napoleon film to assess his true military legacy, and Professor Michael Clarke explains how Napoleonic innovations are still used in wars today.

Japan is on a massive military spending spree aiming to become the worlds 3^rd largest military budget. We assess what military capability it has, and what it needs to face down China and North Korea.

Ukraine’s Commander in Chief has declared the war in his country at stalemate. But why, and what does it tell us about tensions at the top in Kyiv. Simon Newton explains all.

Russia is planning a new naval base in territory it occupies on Georgia’s Black Sea coast, because of Ukraine’s strikes against Russian ships near Crimea.

Sitrep hears from the Georgian capital about worries it could make their country a target for Ukraine.

Professor Michael Clarke and Simon Newton share their assessments, and examine how we can improve ammunition supplies to Ukrainian forces who are having to weigh individual artillery shells at the front line, because ‘standard’ doesn’t mean quite what you think.

And we explain why a new study says training for servicemen and women needs to be less industrial, and more democratic.

Israel’s mission to destroy Hamas has some parallels with the battle to liberate Mosul from the Islamic State terror group – tens of thousands of fighters among a densely packed population of around two-million citizens.

Major General Rupert Jones, who was deputy commander of the anti-IS coalition, shares the lessons from Mosul, and Professor Michael Clarke assesses how they do, or don’t, apply in Gaza.

The RAF’s next generation of drone, Protector, has arrived in Britain for the first time. We’ll explain what it can do.

And as Robert Courts MP becomes the new chair of the Commons Defence Committee, we ask one of his predecessors whether the group can make a difference, or are just a talking shop. 

General David Petraeus commanded multinational forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, wrote America’s handbook on counter-insurgency, and went on to lead the CIA.

Now he wants to help those who follow him learn the lessons of the wars he fought, and many others since World War Two.

General Petraeus and acclaimed military historian Andrew Roberts tell Kate Gerbeau how the outbreak of war in Ukraine spurred them to combine their disciplines for a fresh look at how we got here, and why.

In their book ‘Conflict – The evolution of warfare from 1945 to Ukraine’ General Petraeus shares personal accounts from Iraq and Afghanistan, and we learn lessons including how a tactic deployed with devastating effect by Israel’s enemies failed spectacularly for Russia.

British ships, planes, and personnel have been sent to Mediterranean, tasked with waiting and watching as war rages between Israel and Gaza.

Professor Michael Clarke explains how they could be used, to stop weapons smuggling and gather intelligence, with the aim of preventing a wildfire spread of the conflict.

Sitrep hears first-hand about the challenges facing Ukraine’s troops as they continue to fight back against Russia, including how some artillery commanders are now limited to just five shells per week.

And General David Petraeus, arguably the most significant military commander of the 21^st century so far, shares some very personal lessons on the evolution of warfare.

Israel declared war because of a Hamas terrorist atrocity, invading from Gaza, killing more than a thousand people, and seizing more than 150 hostages.

But what was Hamas hoping to achieve? Is Israel doing exactly what its enemy wants by launching a war, and did it have any other choice?

Professor Michael Clarke and former senior intelligence officer Colonel Philip Ingram address the big military questions of this war.

Another gas pipeline under the Baltic sea has been damaged by an apparent explosion, but what can NATO do about it?

And how the Trinity system could soon be providing British forces with ‘battlefield broadband’, for data driven warfare.

Iron Titan is the Army’s largest land exercise in more than 20 years, involving 8000 troops across more than 40,000 square miles of South-West England and Wales.

Sitrep hears from some of those taking part, and Forces News reporter Rosie Laydon explains how its using the lessons of Ukraine to test the deployment of the UK’s warfighting division.

Violence, and a Serbian troop buildup, have prompted the deployment of 200 British soldiers to Kosovo as extra peacekeepers. Major General Chip Chapman explains their role, and the risks.

And thousands of new quieter and lighter assault rifles have been ordered for British troops, we explain how it will be different for those who get it.

When Shaun Pinner left the Royal Anglian Regiment, after 9 years as a soldier, he had no intention of ever returning to military life.

Two decades later he was fighting in Ukraine as one of the country’s marines, besieged in the city of Mariupol as it was battered and starved by Russian forces.

When he was captured Shaun was beaten, tortured and eventually sentenced to death by firing squad. Yet he is now a free man, and living in Ukraine.

He tells Kate Gerbeau the incredible story of how he ended up there (via waste management and volunteering in Syria), why he was never a ‘war tourist’, and the surreal moment when he met his unlikely saviour on a luxury jet.

Ukraine has punched a new hole through Russia’s minefields, ditches, and ‘dragons teeth’ in Western Zaporizhzhia, but is it enough to start taking back big swathes of land?

Professor Michael Clarke explains why this is halfway to being a turning point, and Forces News reporter Simon Newton explains what obstacles are still in the way of Ukraine’s tanks.

British Army Veteran Shaun Pinner made headlines around the world when he was captured in Ukraine and sentenced to death by Russia. He tells us why he was never a ‘war tourist’, how decades-old training helped him survive, and about the moment he met his unlikely saviour.

Three veterans of Britain’s nuclear test programme, now entitled to a new medal, share their experiences of being guinea-pigs for the UK’s race to become an atomic power.

The Army’s about to test software which, with the help of tiny drones, can give soldiers a 3D model of their battlefield on a phone or tablet in minutes.

The ‘Farsight’ system eliminates the need for network connections, big servers, and long waits. A former US special operations commander who’s helped develop the software tells us what it will mean to troops on the ground.

Russia expert Emily Ferris explains how Moscow’s technology compares, and how military call ups have created a ‘brain-drain’.

And the NHS says three-quarters of its hospital trusts are now ‘veteran aware’. Two pioneers of the scheme tell us what it should mean for the care of those who have served their country.

This week Sitrep focuses on how the British military and defence industry are learning lessons from the war in Ukraine.

Rear Admiral Andrew Betton, Director Joint Warfare at UK Strategic Command, says the way warfare has evolved in Ukraine is a wake-up call.

Sitrep also explores how the defence industry is responding to the conflict in terms of new weapons and equipment.

Plus General Lord Dannatt, the former head of the army, tells us failing to learn the lessons of history left Britain behind at the outbreak of the second world war.

In a special Sitrep podcast, the Head of the British Army says by the end of the decade the Army will be the most modern and the most lethal in Europe. Listen here to the exclusive interview with the CGS, General Sir Patrick Sanders

For 70 years there’s been an armistice – but no peace treaty- between North and South Korea.

In this special addition, Sitrep hears in full from the 3 star British General helping to enforce the uneasy armistice in his role as Deputy Commander of theUS-led United Nations Command Korea.

Sitrep hears from the 3 star British General helping to enforce the uneasy armistice on the border between North and South Korea.

The UK is a member of the US-led United Nations Command Korea. Its role is to enforce the armistice and de-escalate tensions. Its Deputy Commander, Lieutenant General Andrew Harrison, tells Sitrep that the Demilitarised Zone is a ‘surreal’ and ‘dangerous’ place and warns of the need for constant vigilance.

Also in this week’s podcast, Sitrep will be assessing how the battlelines in Ukraine have changed and why. We’ll be hearing from the Institute for the Study of War, Professor Michael Clarke andLieutenant General Ben Hodges,Former Commanding General US Army Europe.

Shaista Gul was known to thousands of British servicemen and women over the years. He created a small oasis of peace at the UK’s headquarters in Southern Afghanistan.

But after Lashkar Gah main operating base closed in 2014 he had to leave the job he loved, and with it the garden he’d created. 

What followed was Taliban intimidation, fatal attacks on his family, and eventually a perilous journey to eventual safety in the UK.

Sitrep talks to Larisa Brown, author of ‘The Gardener of Lashkar Gah: The Afghans Who Risked Everything to Fight the Taliban’, and Shaista Gul’s son Jamal, who worked as interpreter for Britain’s armed forces in Helmand.

Is it time for a radical rethink of who the Armed Forces allow to join, and at what rank, to fill critical skills gaps?

For centuries most people have only been able serve their country by starting at the bottom and working their way up, after meeting strict elegibility criteria.

But in the 21^st century, amid ever greater competition for top talent, should the forces be embracing neurodiversity, later-life careers, and sideways entry?

And why should you stay with one service for your whole military career?

We talk to former Chief of Defence People, Lieutenant General James Swift, about whether these ideas could help build the forces, or damage their effectiveness.

Supporting Ukraine, recruitment & retention, procurement problems and a budget to balance. The new Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has a lot to manage, but does it matter this is his first defence role, indeed does it matter who does the job right now?

Professor Michael Clarke explains why his room for manoeuvre is limited, and what we can expect.

Waiting on the Defence Secretary’s desk are 67 recommendations to shake up Armed Forces life and careers. Could older troops, greater neurodiversity, and direct entry to higher ranks solve skills gaps and make for stronger services?

And Sitrep examines the latest scientific research into whether some of the most tightly-controlled illegal drugs in the UK could cure PTSD. We hear from one veteran who says psychedelic therapy has transformed his life.

Amid a swirl of questions and conspiracy theories about the apparent death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, in a plane crash in Russia, one fact is clear. The mercenary group which has been doing the Kremlin’s dirty work for a decade has lost its founders and top team.

Professor Michael Clarke explains what it means for the war in Ukraine and why the group, branded a threat to the UK by MP’s, will not be disappearing.

After three British soldiers were injured by in attack on UN peacekeepers in Cyprus, Forces News reporter Simon Newton tells us about the reality of high tensions in the buffer zone, despite what is often dismissed as a ‘sunshine tour’.

And six months after President Zelensky’s ‘wings for freedom’ appeal, he’s finally been promised western fighter jets. But they won’t be able to make an impact in the war for a very long time. We explain why.

Two years since British troops left, and the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, millions of people are going hungry while women and girls have been stripped of basic rights.

The Chairman of the Commons Defence Committee says we need to stop ‘shouting from the sidelines’ and re-engage with the Taliban, but after posting a video from Helmand describing the country as ‘transformed’ he’s facing a no-confidence vote from his colleagues.

So how should the UK help? Indeed can it help?  Sitrep talks to former Afghan diplomat Nazifa Haqpal and retired Colonel Simon Diggins who was Defence Attaché in Kabul for two years.

Nazifa warns the Taliban is trying to radicalise the population, so Professor Michael Clarke explains the threat Afghanistan poses to the UK, and why we should care about ‘fixing it’.

The pen, they say, is mightier than the sword, but how?

Words can be used as a weapon of war, and the right words used early enough might even save you from the many costs of kinetic operations.

That’s the argument put forward in a new book – ‘Subversion, the strategic weaponization of narratives’.

It’s author, Dr Andreas Krieg, tells us how weaponised narratives have been used to do things like overthrow governments, and change the world without a shot needing to be fired.

Ukraine formed 12 brigades, each up to 5,000 soldiers strong, to take back territory from Russia. So far it’s only committed around a third of those forces.

Professor Michael Clarke and Forces News Ukraine reporter Simon Newton discuss the military logic, and whether the next phase of the counter-offensive has actually already started.

Is there a better way to handle complaints from members of the Armed Forces?

Germany’s Armed Forces Commissioner tells us how surprise visits and access-all-areas help her make a difference.

And is the pen really mightier than the sword? We explain the concept of ‘weaponised narratives’, how they’ve been used to overthrow governments, and ask whether words can do the same job as warfighting.

Ukraine’s President Zelensky says it’s ‘inevitable’ that war is returning to Russia, and two drone strikes on a Moscow skyscraper look like an attempt to prove the point.

Professor of Defence Studies Michael Clarke explains why he’s worried by this, and we assess whether it makes any strategic sense.

Ukraine is manufacturing, and using up, thousands of drones every month. Svitlana Morenets in Kyiv tells us about getting hands on with the ‘army of drones’ programme that is also training thousands of operators.

And British man Aiden Aslin, who went to fight Daesh in Syria and then joined Ukraine’s armed forces, tells us what motivated him to fight other people’s wars. 

The President of Belarus says Wagner fighters, exiled to his country, are ‘getting on our nerves’ and want ‘an excursion’ into Poland.

Sitrep examines whether this seriously threatens war between NATO and Russia, and we talk to Alicia Kearns MP about cross party warnings that Wagner is a direct threat to the UK.

The Prime Minister has apologised to LGBT veterans who were kicked out of the forces, stripped of medals, and in some cases imprisoned. We explain why has he said sorry when the rules were clear and legally binding at the time.

And 70 years since the end of fighting, why are North and South Korea still technically at war?

The UK’s ‘defence masterplan’ has been updated after just two years, because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Its conclusions are essentially to stick with the old plan, but it must be done faster and better. Despite being re-examined cuts of thousands of soldiers, and a third of the Army’s tanks, will stay.

Professor Michael Clarke explains the key points, what they’ll mean for the Armed Forces, and for their people.

We also assess whether the promises of faster and better modernisation can be delivered, with one of the military architects of the 2015 Defence Review.

As the Armed Forces struggle to recruit and retain the people and skills they need, a major review is recommending a radical rethink of British military life and careers.

The Haythornethwaite review found the forces need to do better at making their people feel valued.

It was commissioned by the Defence Secretary to study ‘incentivisation’ for servicemen and women.

Sitrep talks to the review’s military adviser, retired Lieutenant General Sir Nick Pope, to ask whether flexible working can work for the forces, why the internet really matters to people, and whether pay should be based on skills rather than rank.

The old military saying goes ‘winning the war is easier than winning the peace’.

Sitrep explains what the NATO summit has and hasn’t done to prepare for the end of the war, with the help of Major General Tim Cross, who led the UK’s post-war efforts in Iraq.

The summit delivered security guarantees for Ukraine from some allies, including the UK, but no timetable for NATO membership. We assess whether it was a good or bad result for Ukraine.

And what about NATO’s own defence? We take a look at the new Regional Defence Plans, and ask if the UK can deliver what it’s promising.

Ukraine’s counter offensive is being held up, in part, by densely packed Russian minefields. Former tank commander Justin Crump explains how they avoid the explosives, and clear a path through.

Professor Michael Clarke tells us what progress Ukraine has made in the last month, and why a much bigger push looks imminent.

Sitrep’s James Wharton has had exclusive access to British troops on the ground in Iraq as part of Operation Shader, he explains how their role has changed over the last 9 years.

And former army intelligence officer Louise Jones gives us a guide to the Do’s & Don’ts of social media for forces personnel.

Some Eastern European countries have called on NATO to strengthen its eastern borders following recent events in Russia. 

This week Germany said it plans to keep 4000 troops permanently in Lithuania, once the infrastructure is in place.

Germany already leads a multi-national battlegroup in Lithuania, as the UK does in Estonia, as part of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence.What could Germany’s move mean for the rest of NATO?

Sitrep talks to the former Chief of the Defence Staff, General Lord Richards, about the planned deployment and about the strength of Russian forces in Ukraine.

And finally, Sitrep hears from a Hercules pilot as the aircraft makes its last RAF flight… 

The armed forces need to do better at making their people feel valued to deliver military capability.

So says a major review of ‘incentivisation’ for servicemen and women – we explain its recommendations including flexible careers, simpler allowances, and skills based pay.

The UK is the only NATO country to recruit 16 year olds into the forces, and a UN panel has renewed its call for the age to go up to 18. We ask a member of that panel why.

And the former captain of a Royal Navy submarine explains the options and limits for undersea rescue operations.

As the Armed Forces struggle to recruit and retain the people and skills they need, a major review is recommending a radical rethink of British military life and careers.

The Haythornethwaite review found the forces need to do better at making their people feel valued.

It was commissioned by the Defence Secretary to study ‘incentivisation’ for servicemen and women.

Sitrep talks to the review’s military adviser, retired Lieutenant General Sir Nick Pope, to ask whether flexible working can work for the forces, why the internet really matters to people, and whether pay should be based on skills rather than rank.

The push to retake Ukrainian territory held by Russia has started modestly, but there is a bigger strategy behind it.

Michael Clarke explains how this is actually about stretching Russian forces, and Colin Freeman updates us from close to the front line.

Eleven British universities have been criticised for working with Iranian partners on technologies that could have military uses. Former tank-commander turned scientist Hamish de Bretton-Gordon tells us why he’s worried.

And we hear why British troops have been parking huge soviet-era air-defence vehicles in people’s gardens in Sweden.

Ukraine’s counter-offensive appears to be underway, bringing us a stream of contradictory claims and confusing headlines.

Professor Michael Clarke, and former intelligence officer Col. Philip Ingram, explain how we can make sense of it all in the midst of a disinformation war.

A top US Air Force officer has warned AI enabled drones could turn against their operators, and infrastructure, in pursuit of missions. We ask if artificial intelligence really could go rogue and threaten us all.

And Britain’s latest training effort for Ukraine – sharing support skills with their military chaplains. Chaplain General the Rev. Michael D Parker tells us why it really matters for the war effort.

9 years ago Ukraine’s northern neighbour, Belarus, vocally opposed Russia’s annexation of Crimea and was staunchly a non-nuclear state.

Now it’s host to Russian troops, and is just taking delivery of Russian tactical nuclear weapons. We explain the U-turn, and ask if it’s the start of a new ‘Soviet Union lite’?

NATO’s looking for a new leader, and the UK’s Defence Secretary is seen as one of several potential frontrunners. A former NATO insider explains how the whole process is a bit like appointing a new Pope. And we hear from Estonia – where British troops lead NATO deterrence – about the Baltic state’s latest threat assessment

With reports of an improvement in Russian battlefield tactics, that certainly could be the case. But, other intel suggests that the difficulties with enforcing discipline amongst junior ranks is actually worsening.

On this week’s Sitrep, Professor Michael Clarke will look at a new report which suggests Moscow has indeed, learned from its mistakes and is preparing a major Ukrainian offensive.

Also, as Russia changes tactics we’ll hear how high tech satellite imagery has become a vital tool for watching Russian forces in real time and discover who’s using that information.

As the RAF takes delivery of its latest...and last A400m transport plane, we’ll look at how it compares with the Hercules C130-J which it’s replacing.

And....it’s an exclusive club, but what’s it actually like being ejected from a fighter jet travelling at hundreds of miles an hour?....we’ll hear first hand from former RAF Navigator John Nichol. 

John Nichol’s life was saved by explosives attached to his seat. In 1991 he ejected from a burning RAF Tornado jet, along with pilot John Peters, saving their lives but also leading to their capture by Iraqi forces. In a new book, ‘Eject! Eject!’, John Nichol charts the history of the ejection seat and shares the stories of how it has both saved and changed thousands of people’s lives. He tells Kate Gerbeau what it’s like to be thrown out of plane at 600 miles per hour, how a terrifying 30-second manual process now happens automatically in the blink of an eye, and why ejecting is just the start of the story

It looks the Ukraine war is at a tipping point, with a counter-offensive imminent, which would take the war into a significant new phase.

Professor Michael Clarke explains how a cat-and-mouse game is already underway along hundreds of miles of front line, and do fresh western weaponry promises deliver what President Zelensky said he was waiting for?

Russia’s returned to bombarding Kyiv every 48 hours, journalist Iryna Sysak tells Sitrep what it’s like to be back living under regular attack.

Plus the war of words between the Wagner group and Russia’s ministry of Defence. Where do the mercenary army’s loyalties really lie?  

Artificial Intelligence seems to be coming of age, but some of its pioneers are warning AI could soon get out of control.

On Sitrep we explain how Britain’s armed forces are already using Artificial Intelligence, and Steve Meers from the AI Lab at DSTL tells us what he’s working on to help servicemen and women in the future.

Major Sam McEvoy of the Royal Corps of Signals was involved in the Army’s first operational deployment of AI. He tells us the genie is out of the bottle, and while AI won’t replace humans, people who use AI will replace the ones that don’t.

Professor Michael Clarke helps us understand the military up and downsides of AI, and an adviser to the Ministry of Defence talks us through the ethical dilemmas of Artificial Intelligence. 

Sitrep hears from someone who played a key part in the journey of King Charles III to his role as commander in chief of the UK’s armed forces.

Most of the King’s five years as a serviceman were spent as a pilot, but before he stepped into uniform to fly jets and helicopters he learned to fly a twin-seat single-propellor Chipmunk plane.

His instructor was a young Flight Lieutenant, Philip Pinney, who tells James Wharton his story training future King to fly, preparing Charles for hands on military service.

The coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla includes the UK Armed Forces’ biggest ceremony for 70 years.

On Sitrep we look at the plans, the rehearsals, and hear from a veteran of the Grenadier Guards about the kind of personal preparations required of 7000 servicemen and women.

Russia has accused Ukraine of attempting to assassinate President Putin in a small-drone

strike on the Kremlin. Ukraine firmly denies any part.

Professor Michael Clarke explains why it would be ‘monumentally stupid’ were Ukraine to have been involved in this ‘firework stunt’.

Sitrep gets the inside stories from some of the UK’s biggest military decisions of recent years, as we examine the art and politics of command.

Former Chief of the Defence Staff, General Lord Richards, explains how he once told David Cameron ‘a term in the cadet force doesn’t qualify you to do my job’, but still had a good working relationship with the PM.

And former Defence Secretary, Sir Michael Fallon, reveals how at the start of Operation Shader he had to personally authorise air-strikes, including decisions on which weapons would be used.

Kate Gerbeau also talk to Professor Sir Lawrence Freedman about his book “Command” which analyses the politics of war, and Professor Michael Clarke explains how those lessons apply to military operations happening right now.

Russia has sent a fleet of ships, pretending to be fishing trawlers, to size up our wind farms and power cables for possible attacks according to a new documentary.

Professor Michael Clarke explains how the UK is already ramping up its military capabilities to track and deter this kind of Russian activity.

An Iraq veteran gives us his verdict on the new book ‘How To Fight a War’ – and its author Dr Mike Martin explains why he thinks lethal violence is just communication your enemy can’t ignore. 

And we scroll through the new interactive map which shows where British forces are most busy in Europe, and the different defence ties we have with our near neighbours.

Do tanks trump technology? Do missiles matter more than manpower? And can the better thinker beat the stronger fighter?

Dr Mike Martin’s new book ‘How To Fight A War’ argues that psychology is the key, and that war is as at least as much a conversation as it is a physical battle.

The head of the Army, General Sir Patrick Sanders, has called the book ‘essential reading’.

Dr Martin explains his key principles which could decide victory, or defeat, and former soldier James Wharton gives us his thoughts on whether it all stacks up, based on his experiences of fighting in Iraq.

Sitrep looks behind the headlines of a huge leak of top secret US documents, including on suggesting 50 British special forces troops have been on the ground in Ukraine.

Professor Michael Clarke will assess the damage from the leaks, and explain the official ‘health warnings’ on what’s been revealed.

Ukraine doesn’t just want western fighter jets, it also wants veteran fighter pilots to join its fight. Decorated US Lt Colonel Dan ‘Two Dogs’ Hampton tells us why he wants to sign up.

And we assess America’s new military foothold in Asia, because ‘China has scared the living daylights’ out of the Philippines.

Air Marshal Richard Knighton has been named as the new Chief of Air Staff. We talk to one of his predecessors, Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford, about what the job involves, the challenges ahead, and what AM Knighton’s leadership will mean for the men and women of the RAF.

The NATO/Russia border has just doubled in length as Finland joins the alliance. Will it be a burden or heavy lifter in NATO, and why is Britain already seen as Finland’s mentor?

And Royal Marines have, very quietly, deployed on exercise in South Korea for the first time since the war there. We explain why the country is building up military ties with Britain and Europe.

It’s spring but there’s no sign yet of the ‘spring offensives’ promised by both sides in Ukraine. They are quietly preparing though.

Professor Michael Clarke explains the big movements of Russia’s best troops, and some psychological warfare by Kyiv.

A senior officer tells fellow servicewomen they must report sex attacks to police. We ask why some are still not coming forward despite an overhaul of investigations.

And three years on from Brexit, Britain holds talks about new defence ties with the EU. Is it just about repairing a broken friendship or could it benefit the UK’s Armed Forces? 

Chris Hunter is a decorated high-threat bomb disposal operator. He had been in Iraq, on operation Telic, for just four days when he was shot in an ambush.

Two decades later he lives in the country that nearly claimed his life and works for a charity clearing explosives left by the Islamic State terror group.

He tells Kate Gerbeau how he now has friends who may have tried to kill him years ago, what life is like in Iraq 20 years after the invasion, and what motivates him to stay for as long as he can.

Exactly 20 years ago more than 40,000 British troops were deployed on Operation Telic, to invade Iraq in search of weapons of mass destruction which did not exist.

The legacy of that invasion is complicated, and Sitrep explains how it’s shaped the British Armed Forces of today.

General Lord Dannatt, former Chief of General Staff, tells us how it made us more risk-averse, but developed leadership skills that remain in today’s servicemen and women.

Plus decorated bomb disposal operator Chris Hunter tells us why he’s now living in the country where he was shot, and is still working to make it a safer place.

The Chancellor has promised another 11 billion pounds for Defence over the next five years, but after soaring inflation and big donations to Ukraine how much extra is left over?

Professor of Defence Studies Michael explains what it means for the spending power of Defence, and what it might mean for the future of British Forces as a new masterplan for their size and shape is drawn up.

We also take a closer look at the next generation of Royal Navy attack submarines, which will take up more than a quarter of the new cash.

Just days after the Ministry of Defence launched its own TikTok channel the Chinese owned app has been banned from government devices. A former army intelligence officer explains the risks.

The World War 2 RAF pilots, dubbed ‘The Few’ by Winston Churchill, could not have achieved all that they did without the support of a huge intelligence operation.

But as more and more men had to go to the front, that intelligence work was increasingly taken on by women, despite huge initial resistance and scepticism from military leaders.

Sarah Louise Miller tells us their story, researched in new detail for her book ‘The Women Behind The Few’

And at an event marking International Women’s Day, some of those veterans have told us what life was like as they laid the groundwork for today’s women to serve in frontline combat. 

Ukrainian troops are having to risk their lives, crossing icy waters, to defend small islands used for little more than holiday homes.

We hear why these small marshy patches of land are strategically crucial to protecting Ukraine’s biggest gain so far in the war, while Professor Michael Clarke explains the latest developments across the country.

The UK’s creating a new Arctic operations base, and Sitrep reporter Briohny Williams tells us exactly what it’s like to be there for training and exercises.

Sarah Louise Miller shares the story of thousands of women who overcame huge resistance to become key players in British military intelligence during World War 2.

The Army’s modernisation masterplan relies on Ajax, a new armoured vehicle that is already 6 years late, and has injured some troops with noise and vibration.

As the Defence Secretary says that’s all been solved, Professor Michael Clarke explains why Ajax is so important and we talk to Conservative MP Mark Francois about why he wants to hear from troops involved in the Ajax trials.

Also this week – China’s produced a peace plan for the Ukraine war, but what outcome does it really want?

And we hear from two RAF Typhoon pilots about what it was like patrolling the skies of Qatar to keep the World Cup safe.

Ukrainian journalist Maryana Drach tells Sitrep her experiences of living through a year of war in her country.

The loss of her friend and colleague, Vira Hyrych, in a missile strike on an apartment block, witnessing destruction in her home city, and her team’s drive to expose atrocities.

She also tells us about the latest assessments of public opinion in Ukraine, her thoughts on how the war may end, and why she believes Ukrainians are maintaining their resolve.

Maryana Drach is Director of the Ukrainian service at Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.  

12 months on from Russia’s full scale invasion Sitrep assesses how Ukraine defied predictions that it would lose in days – and instead pushed back Moscow’s forces.

Three experienced British military minds explain who’s got what right, and wrong, and the lessons the UK should learn from all this. 

Daily Telegraph correspondent Colin Freeman tells us what the battlefield picture looks like going into year two, as Ukrainian forces face ‘zombie waves’ of Russian troops.

And Ukrainian journalist Maryana Drach shares personal testimony of her country’s losses, alongside the resolve of its people.

After three more mystery objects were found flying over North America and shot down, the Defence Secretary has ordered a security review of British Airspace.

Have they already flown over us, and have we been looking for them? Sitrep asks a former RAF Operations Commander.

Hundreds of British troops are helping to defend Estonia, a country that has sent its entire Howitzer artillery stock to Ukraine. We hear from soldiers on exercise and Estonia’s Defence Minister.

Plus we explain whether Russia has begun its new offensive, and examine how long NATO nations can keep supplying vital military aid to Ukraine.

Servicemen and women, along with veterans, are often called heroes – it’s well intentioned, but is that label helpful or harmful.

Sitrep talks to a US psychologist who says it could drive veterans towards lower paid ‘selfless’ jobs, a leading military psychiatrist and a founder of the charity Help for Heroes.

The UK is promising to train Ukrainian fighter pilots, but says it can’t send fighter jets any time soon, so is there any point in the training and can the UK actually deliver it?

And the Chinese ‘spy’ balloon that has been shot down by the US Air Force might seem like ancient technology, but we explain why the UK is one of the countries looking at balloons as part of the military future.

The Defence Secretary says his own party has ‘hollowed out’ the forces while in government, but one of his fellow ministers says that’s ‘patently untrue’.

Sitrep assesses if this is this a civil-war in the cabinet over Defence spending, and if so why?

The Defence Secretary says Labour shares the blame for hollowing out, we talk to the Shadow Armed Forces Minister.

Buying Russian missiles, skirmishes with Greece, and now threatening to keep Sweden out of NATO – we ask if Turkey’s a truly committed ally.

And Sitrep’s Simon Newton tells us what life is like onboard a US Destroyer patrolling the Mediterranean.

As the Taliban continue to prevent women and some girls from working or having an education an all party group has been established in Westminster to monitor the situation.

Sitrep also talks to a former female politician who fled the country and the wife of a former CDS who started an education charity in the country.

More tanks are being sent to Ukraine but will they make a difference and how will Russia respond?

And we talk to the film maker given the run of HMS Queen Elizabeth

After her husband and future Chief of the Defence Staff Lord Richards deployed to Afghanistan Lady Caroline Richards wanted to do something to improve the lives of children in the country so she set up a charity.

Shukria Barakzai is a former Member of the Afghan Parliament who fled the country when the Taliban took back control.

And an All Party Parliamentary Group for Afghan Women and Girls was launched in the UK at the end of November. Colonel Rosie Stone is part of the Secretariat for the Group.

In a special edition of Sitrep Kate Gerbeau speaks to all three women about the challenges facing Afghanistan’s female population.

As the UK sends tanks and artillery guns to Ukraine the head of the Army has conceded it will temporarily weaken the service.

That’s on top of Army cuts announced in 2021, which are now being reviewed.

Sitrep talks to two former officers to assess what rebuilding the Army needs, and how it can be done.

NATO’s top military commander has declared “hard power is a reality” – but who was his message aimed at?

And we look at a British-designed 3D-printed bionic hand that could help hundreds of injured Ukrainian troops.

Scotty Mills had an incredible 32 year career in the Royal Marines, but it only happened because he wanted to get out of the rain one day.

He led a daring mission in the opening moments of the Iraq war, has helped England football and Rugby players reach international glory, and marched on the world stage at London 2012.

Scotty tells Kate Gerbeau how he learned a Royal Marines mindset for success, and about becoming a writer to share those lessons with the rest of us.

British troops could be deployed to Japan – and Japanese troops to the UK – under an historic treaty that’s just been signed at the Tower of London

On Sitrep a former Japanese Foreign Minister explains why her country has turned to the UK to bolster its defence position.

After a year of appeals, western tanks could soon be headed to Ukraine, led by British Challenger 2s. A former tank regiment commander tells us what the vehicles can do in a war.

And we hear how a Royal Marines mindset can help with that ‘new year, new me’ plan, from someone who turned round the performance of the England men’s football team.

Sitrep looks ahead at what 2023 may have in store for the UK’s armed forces. Where might they find themselves sent and why?

We also dig into new figures which show the forces are shrinking again – because people are leaving significantly faster than they’re joining.

After a year dominated by war between Ukraine and Russia, we assess what will happen next on the battlefield, and in the Kremlin.

And Professor Michael Clarke gives us his guide to ‘mousetraps’ around the world, the potential trouble spots already spring loaded and waiting to be triggered.

How much can you remember from a truly historic year?

How many days did Russia plan for fighting in Ukraine, and how long has it actually been going on? Just how many munitions is Ukraine firing every day in its fightback?

Sitrep tests a panel of experts on the numbers that spell out the scale of Europe’s biggest war since the 1940s, and the stories from elsewhere that have been overshadowed.

What’s it all meant for Britain’s armed forces, while Westminster has been in turmoil?

We also reflect on the huge military contribution to national mourning for Her Majesty the Queen, and see how much the panel know about the military background of King Charles III.

More than a thousand servicemen and women who might have expected to celebrate Christmas at home are now standing by to cover for striking workers.

The PM says we owe them gratitude, but after two years of Covid work over the festive season is the goodwill of the Armed Forces being stretched?

The head of the Armed Forces says the UK must ‘think big’ on the future of defence, after the invasion of Ukraine. We’ll analyse his annual keynote speech.

Plus what is Skynet, and why is the UK prepared to put billions on the line to keep it updated?