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BFBS Sitrep

BFBS Radio
Ukraine
NATO
Russia
Royal Navy
UK Armed Forces
Donald Trump
China
British Army
United States
World War II
Drones
Afghanistan
Artificial Intelligence
Cyprus
Battle Of Britain
Iran
Defence Investment Plan
Military Technology
Middle East
Leadership

Award winning Defence podcast from BFBS.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes1507Founded17 years ago
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Latest Episodes

The search is on to find a replacement for the Ministry of Defence’s fleet of five thousand Land Rovers. 

Forces News reporter Simon Newton has test-driven some of the contenders and gives Sitrep the lowdown.

Also, more and more people are warning ... more

There’s a rifle race going on right now – Project Grayburn is the campaign to find the successor to the British Army’s SA80 which entered service in the 1980s. We’ll be looking at what the soldiers say they want, what the MOD says it wants and when i... more

In theory 95,000 veterans could be liable for recall if the UK was at war, or headed that way, but for decades it’s been little more than a notional force, lying dormant.

That is about to change though.  Thousands could soon get letters calling them... more

Iran’s strikes on US military bases in the Middle East are a blunt reminder that British servicemen and women deployed in the region face real risks.

Professor Michael Clarke assesses the dangers while former Royal Navy Commander Tom Sharpe explains... more

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Recent Guests

Sian Grzeszczyk Melbourne
Forces News reporter who tested rifles in the US
Forces News
Episode: What will replace the main service rifle, the SA80?
Justin Bosanquet
Former counterintelligence NCO and Forces News journalist
Forces News
Episode: What will replace the main service rifle, the SA80?
Jonny Ball
Veteran, host of Veterans in Politics podcast
Veterans in Politics
Episode: Can the UK Strategic Reserve be reawakened?
Lieutenant General Sir Simon Mayall
Former UK Middle East Defence Advisor
British Army / UK MoD
Episode: British troops caught in “The war of losers”
Thomas Withington
Senior non-resident associate fellow at the NATO Defense College and associate fellow at RUSI
NATO Defense College, Royal United Services Institute
Episode: Can UK tech break battlefield deadlock in Ukraine?
Elisabeth Braw
Senior fellow focusing on grey zone and hybrid threats at the Atlantic Council
Atlantic Council
Episode: Russia’s revenge threat – what might Moscow do to the UK?
Commodore Maryla Ingham
Commander, NATO Standing Maritime Group One
NATO
Episode: Russia’s revenge threat – what might Moscow do to the UK?
Tobias Ellwood
Former Defence Minister, author of Ten Steps to Prevent World War Three
House of Commons / Former Defence Committee Chair
Episode: How do you prevent a world war?
Richard Shirreff
General Sir Richard Shirreff, former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe
British Army / Former NATO Commander
Episode: How do you prevent a world war?

Hosts

Kate Chabot
Host of Sitrep, BFBS/SITREP forces news contributor
Michael Clarke
Co-host, Professor; defence analyst

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 177 ratings
  • Enjoyable Programme

    Enjoying listening however i would strongly disagree with the commentator during the last extra episode discussing amalgamation of regiments. The commentators stated that the Royal Anglian regiment with it’s two battalion’s don’t have a strong identify like the Guards or Parachute Regiment, this is incorrect The regiment went through an amalgamation of 7 county battalions in the 60’s and became three battalions, this was reduced further in the 90’s to two. Since formation 1 Royal Anglian (The Vi... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    vikingtrev
    United Kingdom6 months ago
  • Good analysis but mute Kate’s mic!

    Wide ranging topics, up to date and interesting. Please mute Kate’s mic - hearing her breathing in my ear whilst trying to listen is very distracting!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    imagehexane
    United Kingdoma year ago
  • Good analysis

    Wide ranging topics, up to date and interesting. Please mute the interviewers mic - hearing them breathing in my year whilst trying to listen is very distracting!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    imagehexane
    United Kingdom2 years ago
  • Eye opening excellent program

    Kate tweezing the best out of her interviewees

    All these programs help civilians understand what makes service personnel tick

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    postmandick
    United Kingdom2 years ago
  • Excellent programme, shame about the podcast

    The Sitrep programme is excellent and I look forward to the weekly instalments as one of the highlights of my podcasting week. However, the podcast is sometimes a repeat of a previous episode or, in a recent case, a two-minute news flash rather than the programme advertised. Why does no one check this before release?

    For example, 13 June 2019 episode has people talking about leaving the EU on 29 March. This is presumably a repeat of an old episode, rather than the one advertised? It’s been a c... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    M247A1
    United Kingdom7 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Positive remarks frequently note how the guest mix provides both battlefield and policy perspectives.
A few reviews mention repetitive episodes or older content appearing as new.
A number of commenters enjoy the guests' frontline and strategic insights, with occasional feedback about audio quality or pacing.
Some episodes are dense with policy details which can be hard to follow for newcomers.
Listeners appreciate the depth and credibility of defense analysis.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

What will replace the main service rifle, the SA80?
Q: How important is ammunition in the decision-making process for the next rifle?
Ammunition type (including hybrid/high-pressure rounds) and the associated logistical footprint (training rounds, stockpiles, cost) are central to the decision, potentially more impactful than the rifle choice itself.
What will replace the main service rifle, the SA80?
Q: Why is the project not moving faster, and what could speed it up?
Procurement is slowed by budget constraints, UK sovereign manufacturing questions, and the risk-averse nature of large defense programs; accelerating by using tested, modular platforms and allowing quicker field trials could speed up the process.
What will replace the main service rifle, the SA80?
Q: What do soldiers want in a replacement rifle, according to your reporting?
Soldiers want easier cleaning, ambidextrous controls to accommodate left-handed users, lighter weight, and a system adaptable to different mission types, with the ability to defeat body armour and integrate future technologies.
Russia’s revenge threat – what might Moscow do to the UK?
Q: Mike, do you think we could see the 2014 Little Green Men scenario repeated in the Baltic states?
Mike explains that Estonia and Latvia have significant Russian-speaking minorities and that a replica of the Donbass-style scenario is plausible, highlighting the risks of covert operations and the difficulty of keeping peacekeeping troops neutral in such environments.
Russia’s revenge threat – what might Moscow do to the UK?
Q: Elisabeth, what's your assessment?
Elisabeth notes that NATO and its allies are dealing with a broad grey-zone threat landscape, where Russia tests thresholds with non-kinetic means, emphasizing the importance of sustaining political resolve and credible deterrence without overreacting to every intrusion.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About BFBS Sitrep

What is BFBS Sitrep about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This defense-focused show features in-depth discussions with military professionals, policy experts, and defense industry voices. Across episodes, topics span NATO modernization and alliance cohesion, force posture and modernization (including tanks, ISTAR, unmanned systems, and space capabilities), defence budgeting and the Defence Investment Plan, and the practical realities of operations from Ukraine to Estonia. Notable strengths include high-caliber guest lineups, policy-level and battlefield perspectives, and a willingness to tackle both strategic and procurement questions, though pacing and episode variety can vary. Potential listeners who want expert context on European security, defense innovation, and alliance strategy will likely ... more

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Which podcasts are similar to BFBS Sitrep?

These podcasts share a similar audience with BFBS Sitrep:

1. The General & The Journalist
2. Global Security Briefing
3. The Unconventional Soldier
4. Battleground
5. The Wargame

How many episodes of BFBS Sitrep are there?

BFBS Sitrep launched 17 years ago and published 1507 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on BFBS Sitrep?

Recent guests on BFBS Sitrep include:

1. Sian Grzeszczyk Melbourne
2. Justin Bosanquet
3. Jonny Ball
4. Lieutenant General Sir Simon Mayall
5. Thomas Withington
6. Elisabeth Braw
7. Commodore Maryla Ingham
8. Tobias Ellwood

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