Podcasts & Specials

Sitrep talks to the outgoing Director-General of the Royal United Services Institute, Dr. Karin von Hippel

RUSI has contributed to UK defence & security thinking for almost two centuries, and under Dr. von Hippel’s leadership it’s help the country face threats ranging from the Covid pandemic to the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Before leading RUSI she was a key figure at the US State Department, as Chief-of-Staff to General John Allen who led the global coalition against the Islamic State terror group.

After 9 years at the helm of RUSI, Karin talks to Kate Gerbeau about the many challenges and surprises the world has brought in that time, and what lies ahead.

Drones buzzing airbases and HMS Queen Elizabeth. Undersea cables cut.  Mysterious parcel fires at air-freight depots.  These have all been described as hybrid, grey-zone, or sub-threshold attacks against the UK and it’s allies.

But if they are all below the threshold of an act of war, where does that threshold lie?

Sitrep explores the use of deniable attacks, from disruption and disinformation to assassination and bomb plots. How do we defend against them, deter enemies from even trying, and stand up to international bullying?

Kate Gerbeau and Professor Michael Clarke talk to grey-zone expert Elisabeth Braw, former military intelligence officer Colonel Philip Ingram, and Tan Dhesi MP who chairs the Commons Defence Committee.

From testing whether we’re ready for war to checking whether forces families get the support they need, the Commons Defence Committee plays a key role in overseeing our defence.

Kate Gerbeau talks to the man chosen by his fellow MP’s to chair the committee in this Parliament.

Tan Dhesi has a background in maths, management science, and running his own construction business.

So what does he bring to this important defence role, why did he want the job, and what does he hope to achieve for the UK’s defence and it’s service personnel?

BFBS Forces News presents ‘Great British Battle Commanders’ hosted by Professor Michael Clarke, Sitrep’s defence analyst, assessing the leadership and strategy of Admiral Lord Nelson with Dr Gregory Fremont-Barnes, author of several books on Nelson and his Navy, and senior lecturer in war studies at RMAS. The interview is recorded in Nelson’s cabin on HMS Victory in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.

Nelson Glossary

Cuthbert Collingwood Admiral and Second in Command at Trafalgar.

John Jervis Earl of St Vincent, Admiral and Commander at the Battle of Cape St Vincent.

George Towry Captain, involved in the Battle of Cape St Vincent.

Thomas Troubridge Captain, involved in the Battle of Cape St Vincent.

Ralph Abercromby General, mortally wounded at the Battle of Alexandria in 1801.

Pierre-Charles de Villeneuve French Admiral and overall Commander of the Combined Fleet at Trafalgar.

Frederico Gravina Spanish Admiral and Second in Command at Trafalgar.

Russia thought it would conquer Ukraine in 10 days, Ukrainian resolve is still preventing that.  But after more than a million casualties on both sides, thousands of pieces of military hardware destroyed, will it simply come down to which side can outlast the other?

Sitrep’s Simon Newton and Hannah King join us from Kyiv to share how the people, and their resolve, are holding up, while Professor Michael Clarke analyses the battlefield picture.

If it doesn’t come down simply to attrition then what could prove to be a tipping point?

Ukraine hopes permission to fire British Storm Shadow and American ATACMS missiles into Russia could be a game changer, while Russia’s banking on ratcheting up nuclear rhetoric to discourage western support.  Sitrep assesses the effect they could have.

The Defence Secretary has announced that more than 30 helicopters will be retired early, along with 5 ships, and 46 drones, all of them he calls ‘outdated capabilities’.

Most significant, after years of ‘will they, won’t they’, the Royal Marines amphibious assault ships, HMS Albion and HMS Bulwark, get the axe. Critics call it a black day for the Marines but the Defence Secretary insists they have a bright future.

So which is it? Professor Michael Clarke explains how each of the cuts will, or won’t, affect our military capabilities. He also analyses the shake-up at the very top of the forces giving the Chief of Defence Staff more power over all the services.

And why is all this being announced with months of work still to do on the Defence Review, with more big change ahead?

BFBS Forces News presents ‘Great British Battle Commanders’ hosted by Professor Michael Clarke, Sitrep’s defence analyst, assessing the leadership and strategy of Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery with the former Chief of the Army and former Chief of the Defence Staff, General Lord Richards. The interview is recorded in the D-Day Map Room at Southwick House, outside Portsmouth, which was the nerve centre for Operation Overlord.

Glossary for Audio

General Dwight D Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander 1944-1945

Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder, Deputy Supreme Commander to Eisenhower

Field Marshal Herbert Plumer, British First World war general

Field Marshal Alan Brooke, Chief of the Imperial General Staff in 1944

Field Marshal Lord John Gort, Commander of British forces in France, 1940

Field Marshal Claude Auchinleck, British general

Field Marshal Harold Alexander, British general

General George S. Patton, US general

General Frederick E. Morgan, British general

General Omar N. Bradley, US general

Field Marshal William J. Slim, British general

First it was sending ammunition, then troops for the war in Ukraine, now North Korea has signed off on a formal mutual-defence treaty with Russia.

NATO’s new Secretary General has called it a threat to our security. Defence researcher Joseph Dempsey, who’s spent years uncovering the secrets of North Korea’s military, explains the risk, and what’s in it for Moscow and Pyongyang.

On the Korean peninsula shots have been fired across the border, more missiles have been tested, and there have been nuclear-capable shows of force in the skies.  Lieutenant General Andrew Harrison draws on his two years helping protect the armistice to assess the scale of the tensions.

And we get the lowdown on China’s new stealth jet, which has a remarkably similar look and name to the US and UK’s fifth-generation fighter.

BFBS Forces News presents ‘Great British Battle Commanders’ hosted by Professor Michael Clarke, Sitrep’s defence analyst, assessing the leadership and strategy of Boudica, Queen of the Iceni. The interview is recorded in Colchester Castle, Essex, which was built on the foundations of the Roman Temple that was sacked and burnt by Boudica’s forces in AD 60.

On the campaign trail Donald Trump said Russia should “do whatever the hell they want” to NATO allies who underspend on defence, while attacking his former top military officer as a “traitor” who should be hanged.

Is this going to be the reality of his second term in the White House? And what does it mean for Ukraine - an end to vital military aid or a new determination that Russia can’t be seen to win?

Former UK National Security Adviser, Sir Mark Lyall Grant, and former Commanding General of the US Army Europe, Ben Hodges, join Kate and Mike to explain both the risks and potential opportunities.

Could Trump’s unpredictability be a deterrent to enemies, even if it unsettles allies? And months into the UK’s strategic defence review is this going to force some rethinking?

BFBS Forces News presents ‘Great British Battle Commanders’ hosted by Professor Michael Clarke, Sitrep’s defence analyst, assessing the leadership and strategy of Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding with aviation historian, Dr Victoria Taylor. The interview is recorded in Dowding’s former office in Bentley Priory, Stanmore, which was Headquarters Fighter Command during the Second World War.

The chancellor has promised an extra £2.9bn for defence next year, but what does that actually mean for our armed forces?

Professor Malcolm Chalmers explains why it amounts to a small increase in spending power and not the step change many want, but why that could still come down the line.

Amid reports that the UK’s top military officer could get sweeping new powers General Lord Richards tells us how, when he had the job, he had to explain to the Prime Minister that the Chief of Defence Staff doesn’t actually command the three services.

And Sitrep’s own Professor Michael Clarke reveals the secrets uncovered for his new book and podcast about great British commanders, including one who had a major sideline writing romantic fiction and another who firmly believed in fairies.

BFBS Forces News presents ‘Great British Battle Commanders’ hosted by Professor Michael Clarke, Sitrep’s defence analyst, assessing the leadership and strategy of the Duke of Wellington with the best-selling author of the ‘Sharpe’ and ‘Last Kingdom’ novels Bernard Cornwell. The interview is recorded in Wellington’s former office in Horse Guards, now used as the office of the General Officer Commanding HQ London District.

Based on his book ‘Great British Commanders,’ Mike will be asking what makes for successful command? Is success or failure wholly determined by the circumstances each commander faces – with a bit of luck thrown in? Or are there some essential truths about command and human nature which ultimately make the difference on the battlefield?

It’s 10 years since British troops left Helmand and combat operations came to an end. But the conflict reshaped the forces in ways that can still be seen today.

The next war is expected to involve tanks and trenches not seen in Helmand, so from equipment to military mindsets Sitrep assesses what is helpful to still have, what is a hinderance, and what gaps may exist.

150,000 British personnel served in Afghanistan. A handful of those veterans tell us how that experience shapes their lives today. 

And Invictus medalist Jonny Ball talks to Sitrep about his new mission to create a community for all veterans of British operations in Afghanistan.

Admiral Sir Keith Blount, who is the most senior British officer in NATO, talks to Sitrep’s Claire Sadler and Professor Michael Clarke from the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium.

He explains alliance thinking and actions on key topics including NATO's future, technology developments, the Ukraine war and the threat posed by Russia and China.

Allied personnel were in attendance for the first Sitrep Live podcast.

Admiral Sir Keith took up the role of DSACEUR in July 2023, the first Royal Navy officer to hold the position, and is second in command to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, US Army General Christopher G Cavoli.

Across 45 years of service General Sir Mike Jackson played a key role in many historic moments for Britain’s armed forces, even before he led the Army as Chief of the General Staff.

Known to all simply as Jacko he is best remembered for defying his US commanding officer in Kosovo by saying “I’m not going to start World War Three for you”.  He did not get sacked, but did get the Distinguished Service Order.

Sitrep hears new insights from that incident along with memories and tributes from those who served with General Sir Mike, and reflections of the General himself shared in some of the many times he spoke to BFBS.

General Sir Mike Jackson.  1944-2024

Our armed forces put their lives on the line to protect the rule of international law and ordinary people’s human rights. But some believe those rights and laws are disproportionately affecting our troops and military decision makers.

Sitrep talks to two SAS veterans who explain why they want the UK to opt-out of part of the European Convention on Human Rights, and we get expert legal opinion from Joshua Rozenberg about whether that’s possible and how much difference it would make.

Diego Garcia has just ten square miles of dry land, so why have the US and UK fought so hard to keep it as a secretive military base? Professor Michael Clarke explains why the remote island is a strategic “jewel in a silver sea”.

And one of the most important but bloodiest battles of World War Two in Italy is retold through the eyes of those who fought on both sides.  The historian James Holland tells us why he’s revisited the battle of Monte Cassino.

Almost exactly 10 years since Operation Shader began RAF strikes against the Islamic State terror group ministers say it will be drawn down in favour of a new security partnership.

But what form should that take, and is this the right time given everything else happening in the Middle East? Sitrep gets the thoughts of former Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon.

We also assess Iran’s weapons and military capability, along with what it tells us about the risk of a wider regional war in the Middle East

And Sitrep hears from Albania where British troops have been the first to use a new 650 mile NATO route across the Balkans, to deploy themselves for months of peacekeeping in Kosovo.

The Army’s world-renowned Royal Military Academy Sandhurst is undertaking a radical process to modernise. It’s conducting what it calls a ‘Critical Mass Trial’ – huge efforts to ramp up the numbers of women in its platoons in response to a tragedy at the Academy. BFBS Forces News has been given rare and exclusive access to Sandhurst and has documented it in a new series produced by Rosie Laydon who talks to Sitrep. 

Something that’s really getting people fired up in the military is the prospect of paying 20 per cent VAT on private school fees from January. Some personnel are even threatening to leave the Armed Forces if the Government pushes ahead, whereas others claim it will put new people off joining in the first place. Sitrep talks to the RAF Families Federation and retired Army Officer Hamish de Bretton-Gordon.

 And former Tornado Navigator and bestselling author John Nichol talks to Kate Gerbeau about the history of the tomb of the unknown warrior and the painstaking efforts of finding, identifying and reburying the fallen, which he explores in his new book.

More than a hundred years after the First World War, more than half a million soldiers are still missing, a third of whom are thought to be buried as ‘unknown’. 

Two years after the end of the Great War, The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior was established at Westminster Abbey and has served as a focal point for the public’s grief ever since.

Former Tornado Navigator and bestselling author John Nichol talks to Kate Gerbeau about the history of the tomb and the painstaking efforts of finding, identifying and reburying the fallen, which he explores in his new book.

They’re joined by a veteran who served in the Army for 30 years, Colonel Lindsay MacDuff, who was involved in more than 200 repatriations from Iraq and Afghanistan.