BFBS Sitrep

Exactly 20 years ago more than 40,000 British troops were deployed on Operation Telic, to invade Iraq in search of weapons of mass destruction which did not exist.

The legacy of that invasion is complicated, and Sitrep explains how it’s shaped the British Armed Forces of today.

General Lord Dannatt, former Chief of General Staff, tells us how it made us more risk-averse, but developed leadership skills that remain in today’s servicemen and women.

Plus decorated bomb disposal operator Chris Hunter tells us why he’s now living in the country where he was shot, and is still working to make it a safer place.

Chris Hunter is a decorated high-threat bomb disposal operator. He had been in Iraq, on operation Telic, for just four days when he was shot in an ambush.

Two decades later he lives in the country that nearly claimed his life and works for a charity clearing explosives left by the Islamic State terror group.

He tells Kate Gerbeau how he now has friends who may have tried to kill him years ago, what life is like in Iraq 20 years after the invasion, and what motivates him to stay for as long as he can.

Chris Hunter is a decorated high-threat bomb disposal operator. He had been in Iraq, on operation Telic, for just four days when he was shot in an ambush.

Two decades later he lives in the country that nearly claimed his life and works for a charity clearing explosives left by the Islamic State terror group.

He tells Kate Gerbeau how he now has friends who may have tried to kill him years ago, what life is like in Iraq 20 years after the invasion, and what motivates him to stay for as long as he can.

The Chancellor has promised another 11 billion pounds for Defence over the next five years, but after soaring inflation and big donations to Ukraine how much extra is left over?

Professor of Defence Studies Michael explains what it means for the spending power of Defence, and what it might mean for the future of British Forces as a new masterplan for their size and shape is drawn up.

We also take a closer look at the next generation of Royal Navy attack submarines, which will take up more than a quarter of the new cash.

Just days after the Ministry of Defence launched its own TikTok channel the Chinese owned app has been banned from government devices. A former army intelligence officer explains the risks.

Ukrainian troops are having to risk their lives, crossing icy waters, to defend small islands used for little more than holiday homes.

We hear why these small marshy patches of land are strategically crucial to protecting Ukraine’s biggest gain so far in the war, while Professor Michael Clarke explains the latest developments across the country.

The UK’s creating a new Arctic operations base, and Sitrep reporter Briohny Williams tells us exactly what it’s like to be there for training and exercises.

Sarah Louise Miller shares the story of thousands of women who overcame huge resistance to become key players in British military intelligence during World War 2.

The World War 2 RAF pilots, dubbed ‘The Few’ by Winston Churchill, could not have achieved all that they did without the support of a huge intelligence operation.

But as more and more men had to go to the front, that intelligence work was increasingly taken on by women, despite huge initial resistance and scepticism from military leaders.

Sarah Louise Miller tells us their story, researched in new detail for her book ‘The Women Behind The Few’

And at an event marking International Women’s Day, some of those veterans have told us what life was like as they laid the groundwork for today’s women to serve in frontline combat. 

The Army’s modernisation masterplan relies on Ajax, a new armoured vehicle that is already 6 years late, and has injured some troops with noise and vibration.

As the Defence Secretary says that’s all been solved, Professor Michael Clarke explains why Ajax is so important and we talk to Conservative MP Mark Francois about why he wants to hear from troops involved in the Ajax trials.

Also this week – China’s produced a peace plan for the Ukraine war, but what outcome does it really want?

And we hear from two RAF Typhoon pilots about what it was like patrolling the skies of Qatar to keep the World Cup safe.

Ukrainian journalist Maryana Drach tells Sitrep her experiences of living through a year of war in her country.

The loss of her friend and colleague, Vira Hyrych, in a missile strike on an apartment block, witnessing destruction in her home city, and her team’s drive to expose atrocities.

She also tells us about the latest assessments of public opinion in Ukraine, her thoughts on how the war may end, and why she believes Ukrainians are maintaining their resolve.

Maryana Drach is Director of the Ukrainian service at Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty.  

12 months on from Russia’s full scale invasion Sitrep assesses how Ukraine defied predictions that it would lose in days – and instead pushed back Moscow’s forces.

Three experienced British military minds explain who’s got what right, and wrong, and the lessons the UK should learn from all this. 

Daily Telegraph correspondent Colin Freeman tells us what the battlefield picture looks like going into year two, as Ukrainian forces face ‘zombie waves’ of Russian troops.

And Ukrainian journalist Maryana Drach shares personal testimony of her country’s losses, alongside the resolve of its people.

After three more mystery objects were found flying over North America and shot down, the Defence Secretary has ordered a security review of British Airspace.

Have they already flown over us, and have we been looking for them? Sitrep asks a former RAF Operations Commander.

Hundreds of British troops are helping to defend Estonia, a country that has sent its entire Howitzer artillery stock to Ukraine. We hear from soldiers on exercise and Estonia’s Defence Minister.

Plus we explain whether Russia has begun its new offensive, and examine how long NATO nations can keep supplying vital military aid to Ukraine.