BFBS Sitrep

A special Sitrep examines the implications of the fall of Kabul, and the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan. We hear from a former Royal Marine still in Kabul, and a journalist who escaped on the day the Taliban entered the city. A former head of the Army tells us what it felt like to see Afghanistan fall, and we ask what America’s decision to withdraw could mean for its NATO allies. And we reflect on whether political leaders are right when they insist the near 20-year mission in Afghanistan was still worthwhile.

As the situation in Afghanistan worsens, we ask what are the realistic options to bring things back under control. We’ll hear from the former head of the UK’s Joint Forces Command, General Sir Richard Barrons... he thinks a return to UK boots on the ground isn’t the way forward but allied and Afghan air strikes could be. We’ll look at the impact of climate change on the military... how will it affect future conflict? The International Institute for Strategic Studies recently looked at how extreme weather could affect global security. We’ll talk to Ben Barry from the IISS. And... we hear from Army boxing Olympic medalist Kariss Artingstall... she’s back home after a very successful Tokyo 2020.

A month after the bulk of remaining western forces pulled out of Afghanistan, the Taliban is on the rise. Fierce fighting has brought cities like Herat and Kandahar to the brink of collapsing to the militants. But the greatest danger is in Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand -- where British forces fought against the Taliban for so many years. We hear from those who served in Afghanistan - including the former Chief of the Defence Staff, Lord Richards, who tells Sitrep that the Government must set out what it will do to prevent the fall of the Afghan government. We'll also explore what could happen next after the fatal attack on a tanker off Oman -- blamed by western powers on Iran. And we'll find out about the bizarre case of military ships' positions being faked -- who might be doing it, and why?

A damning report accuses military leaders of failing to protect female personnel from bullying, harassment and discrimination. An MPs investigation revealed the huge number of complaints, including allegations of serious sexual offences going unpunished. We hear from the MP who led the probe, and a 30-year Army veteran who resigned to highlight the issue - and we ask a defence minister what they’re going to do to improve things. Plus the US announces an end to combat operations in Iraq — but not for the first time. And as the Carrier Strike Group reaches the Indo-Pacific, what does our biggest ally make of it all?

European officials want Spanish forces on the ground in Gibraltar policing the border — something both the UK and Gibraltar insist they won’t accept. We get the latest from the territory’s Chief Minister. Is your phone spying on you? After the revelations this week about spyware reportedly aimed at human rights campaigners, political and military leaders, we ask who should set the rules for modern surveillance? We hear from an expert in space defence on the huge vulnerability of western satellites, and the risks a future conflict could start far above the earth. And we pay tribute to a Dambusters pilot, who was determined to make sure a key contribution to the Second World War was never forgotten.

The Government wants to halt all investigations and prosecutions linked to Northern Ireland’s past. But how can you move on from a conflict when some of its biggest crimes will go unpunished? Will the wars of the future be beyond the capacity of humans? We’ve a report on how new advances in AI and quantum computing could fundamentally change the nature of conflict. And as a global shortage of computer chips slows production, we find out how it’s become a national security issue. Plus we report from the Carrier Strike Group, and hear from the captain of the US warship that’s joined the HMS Queen Elizabeth. And what links Sandhurst’s first female college commander and Gareth Southgate’s remarkable England team?

As the western military intervention in Afghanistan draws to an end, Sitrep looks back at the last 20 years, and asks what it will mean in the future. A former head of the Army tells us about “frustrating” conversations with ministers at the height of the fighting, while an MP who served in Afghanistan warns withdrawal will alarm Britain’s allies. We get an update from Kabul, and we hear how a small town became the focal point for Britain’s tribute to the lives lost in the conflict.

As the western military intervention in Afghanistan draws to an end, Sitrep looks back at the last 20 years, and asks what it will mean in the future. A former head of the Army tells us about “frustrating” conversations with ministers at the height of the fighting, while an MP who served in Afghanistan warns withdrawal will alarm Britain’s allies. We get an update from Kabul, and we hear how a small town became the focal point for Britain’s tribute to the lives lost in the conflict.

How did sensitive MoD documents end up dumped by a bus stop in Kent? An accident? Or something more sinister? As China’s Communist Party marks its centenary, an expert on the country tells us what Britain’s getting right — and wrong — in the increasingly fractious relationship. We meet the former serviceman leading calls for a public inquiry into a fatal mid-air collision over Scotland. And we hear from Lieutenant Commander Pete Reed, as he continues his recovery from the spinal stroke which ended his world-beating rowing career.

What really happened when a British warship sailed close to Crimea? We try to cut through the conflicting stories. More than a decade after a report highlighted problems with bullying and sexual harassment, researchers say women in the armed forces still face the same problems. We speak to the author of a new report that sets out the problems facing women who serve, and the issues for female veterans as well. We speak to an expert on UFOs as US officials prepare to release a major report into mid-air encounters and 100 years of the WRENs Association.