BFBS Sitrep

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