BFBS Sitrep

Lebanon is on edge after thousands of Hezbollah electronic devices exploded across two days. Many people have died and thousands are injured. Former Army Intelligence Officer Philip Ingram explains how the plan was coordinated and what militaries  learn from these attacks.

Russia has lost at least 15 warships since its full scale invasion of Ukraine but it hasn’t stopped it carrying out significant maritime exercises and launching a new department to strengthen its power at sea.

Royal Navy veteran, John Foreman CBE, who was UK Defence attache to Moscow until 2022, says it shows Putin wants Russia to be a great maritime power. John also elaborates on the country’s naval ambitions.

And - it was one of the most iconic campaigns of the Second World War -  Sitrep’s reporter Tim Cooper is in Arnhem to mark the 80th anniversary of Operation Market garden.

Lebanon is on edge after thousands of Hezbollah electronic devices exploded across two days. Many people have died and thousands are injured. Former Army Intelligence Officer Philip Ingram explains how the plan was coordinated and what militaries  learn from these attacks.

Russia has lost at least 15 warships since its full scale invasion of Ukraine but it hasn’t stopped it carrying out significant maritime exercises and launching a new department to strengthen its power at sea.

Royal Navy veteran, John Foreman CBE, who was UK Defence attache to Moscow until 2022, says it shows Putin wants Russia to be a great maritime power. John also elaborates on the country’s naval ambitions.

And - it was one of the most iconic campaigns of the Second World War -  Sitrep’s reporter Tim Cooper is in Arnhem to mark the 80th anniversary of Operation Market garden.

More than 40,000 Ukrainians have had military training in the UK since Russia’s full-scale invasion of their country, but that’s made it harder for the Army to access its own training areas with bids now eight times more likely to be rejected.

Former Royal Navy Commodore Steve Prest explains why the UK thinks it’s a price worth paying, for now.

The UK led Joint Expeditionary Force is now a decade old. Professor Michael Clarke explains how this “alliance within an alliance” didn’t seem to matter much when it was created, but has become very important to NATO.

And SAS historian Ben Macintyre reveals new details of the 1980 Iranian embassy siege, including how the special forces knew about the terrorist attack before ministers.

More than 40,000 Ukrainians have had military training in the UK since Russia’s full-scale invasion of their country, but that’s made it harder for the Army to access its own training areas with bids now eight times more likely to be rejected.

Former Royal Navy Commodore Steve Prest explains why the UK thinks it’s a price worth paying, for now.

The UK led Joint Expeditionary Force is now a decade old. Professor Michael Clarke explains how this “alliance within an alliance” didn’t seem to matter much when it was created, but has become very important to NATO.

And SAS historian Ben Macintyre reveals new details of the 1980 Iranian embassy siege, including how the special forces knew about the terrorist attack before ministers.

It remains an iconic piece of news footage and now historian Ben MacIntyre, the man behind SAS Rogue Heroes, has been given permission to talk to the men who took part in the operation to end the siege of the Iranian Embassy in London in 1980.

Some of them have never spoken openly about the mission until now and these personal accounts detail the build-up, planning and execution of Operation Nimrod.

Ben MacIntyre talks to Kate Gerbeau about the myths, the legends and ultimately the truth about the most famous and most public SAS endeavour.

It remains an iconic piece of news footage and now historian Ben MacIntyre, the man behind SAS Rogue Heroes, has been given permission to talk to the men who took part in the operation to end the siege of the Iranian Embassy in London in 1980.

Some of them have never spoken openly about the mission until now and these personal accounts detail the build-up, planning and execution of Operation Nimrod.

Ben MacIntyre talks to Kate Gerbeau about the myths, the legends and ultimately the truth about the most famous and most public SAS endeavour.

The Defence Secretary has said “we will do our part” as the government prepares us for a “difficult” budget, fuelling speculation that some big defence projects, like new planes or ships, could be axed.

Sitrep’s Professor Michael Clarke explains why the Chancellor won’t be making any such announcements, but that that everything is up for consideration, and how difficult choices will have to be made early next year.

Also on Sitrep why the Armed Forces are pushing big into e-sports.  We talk to the Army team manager from international Call of Duty tournament Code Bowl.

And the recently retired Surgeon General, Major General Tim Hodgetts, talks to us about soldiering, saving lives and how writing war poems helped him with both. 

The Defence Secretary has said “we will do our part” as the government prepares us for a “difficult” budget, fuelling speculation that some big defence projects, like new planes or ships, could be axed.

Sitrep’s Professor Michael Clarke explains why the Chancellor won’t be making any such announcements, but that that everything is up for consideration, and how difficult choices will have to be made early next year.

Also on Sitrep why the Armed Forces are pushing big into e-sports.  We talk to the Army team manager from international Call of Duty tournament Code Bowl.

And the recently retired Surgeon General, Major General Tim Hodgetts, talks to us about soldiering, saving lives and how writing war poems helped him with both. 

Major General Tim Hodgetts served 41 years as an Army doctor, rising to become Surgeon General.

He’s lived through gunfire and explosions while trying to save lives, from Germany via Northern Ireland, to Afghanistan. 

Throughout much of that time he also wrote poems as a way to help him process those experiences, but now he’s published some of them in an anthology, “Frontlines and Lifelines”

Major General Hodgetts talks to Kate Gerbeau about his poems, the events that inspired them, and his contributions to revolutionising military medicine.

Major General Tim Hodgetts served 41 years as an Army doctor, rising to become Surgeon General.

He’s lived through gunfire and explosions while trying to save lives, from Germany via Northern Ireland, to Afghanistan. 

Throughout much of that time he also wrote poems as a way to help him process those experiences, but now he’s published some of them in an anthology, “Frontlines and Lifelines”

Major General Hodgetts talks to Kate Gerbeau about his poems, the events that inspired them, and his contributions to revolutionising military medicine.