BFBS Radio Sitrep

We look at the government’s plans to re-start military training programmes but how? Who could be trying to hack into the labs working on a coronavirus vaccine? We’ll hear from one military charity worried about the mental health of veterans dealing with the pandemic. And ahead of the VE Day anniversary, we’ll find out how it’s being marked at home and online, hear from Cyprus about the role the island played in the war.

What will the world look like when the coronavirus pandemic is in the past? We’ll discuss the potential for major change with the director-general of RUSI We report on the military’s latest role responding to the pandemic. And on Captain Tom Moore’s 100th birthday, we hear from the postmaster who’s had to cope with more than 100-thousand cards. Plus, a former MoD expert on UFOs tells us why the Pentagon’s suddenly being so open about potential close encounters.

Thousands of military personnel are part of Britain’s response to the Coronavirus crisis, but should they be doing more? What are the parallels between being in a war zone and being on the frontline of the medical battle against Covid-19?  Sitrep speaks to an expert in military mental health, And, as the head of MI5 steps down, what are the security threats we need to be worried about once the pandemic has passed? Plus, how are military charities coping as many face financial crisis?

How the coronavirus pandemic will impact conflict zones like Afghanistan and Syria, the growing pressure on Donald Trump over his handling of the crisis, and the story of the 99-year-old veteran who’s raised millions for the NHS.

Is there a security risk to Boris Johnson's hospitalisation? How long will the forces help cope with Covid-19? And how can Africa prepare for the pandemic?

The giant NHS Nightingale Hospital in London’s docklands prepares to receive patients. We’ve a special report from inside the hospital. As thousands of reservists are called up and the RAF and Royal Navy make their own contributions to the national response to the pandemic, we’ll hear from the First Sea Lord. Plus we learn more about the call to veterans to help their local communities cope with the virus. Fake news connected to the pandemic is spreading around the world.

We hear from some of those in the forces helping the UK’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. Former Chief of the Defence Staff Lord Richards tells us the Army’s “perfect” to help build a giant new hospital in London. We learn about the military personnel training to deliver vital oxygen supplies to hospitals up and down the country, and find out how the outbreak could threaten veterans. Plus we look at how prepared the UK was for this emergency — do we need to think more about civil de

After an extraordinary week for the UK and the world, this week’s Sitrep looks at the role the military is likely play in the response to the coronavirus outbreak. We’ve a full update on the MoD’s plans so far, and former defence minister Tobias Ellwood tells us how the military will fit into the overall response. Michael Clarke, the former director-general at the Royal United Services Institute, remembers past occasions where the military’s been called in to help out.

It’s five years since Saudi Arabia first intervened in the fighting in Yemen. Since then it’s escalated into the world’s worst humanitarian disaster. We’ll learn more about Saudi Arabia’s huge surge in arms imports during the conflict — and who’s selling them the weapons. Plus a special report from Africa on Britain’s growing military role in the continent. Find out how Russia’s leader plans to effectively become president for life with Russia analyst Stephen Dalziel

Should the military be helping in the fight against coronavirus?   Lord Dannatt, former head of the Army, tells Sitrep his thoughts. How British troops are training African soldiers to combat the Islamist extremists in the Sahel. And find out what it's like to be a RAF reservist....

The Prime Minister launches the biggest review of foreign, defence and security policy since the end of the Cold War. Life after service for the former Commander of BFG and the threat of piracy.

The scale of the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Syria is hard to comprehend.   Close to 1-million civilians — the majority women and children — have fled towards the Turkish border in the depths of winter.  Western nations, though, appear unwilling to do anything. Could the war in Afghanistan be coming to an end? Sir William Patey talks about the impending peace deal. A lot has changed in the two decades since the government lifted the bar on gay and bisexual people serving in the armed forc

The Army has some rare good news on the shortfalls in its ranks. A surprisingly busy cabinet reshuffle. any defence implications? Parts of Africa’s Sahel region, is currently at the centre of huge conflict with different armed groups, including Al Qaeda and Islamic State. The United States is a hundred percent committed to NATO.  So says a US General involved in the planning of the largest deployment of U.S.-based forces to Europe for an exercise in more than 25 years.

President Trump’s made his annual State of the Union Address to Congress. Malcom Brown from Feature Story News and Dr Karin von Hippel of RUSI discusses the current state of Britain’s relationship with the US. Does the United Nations need reform? Secretary General of the UN is angry. The new chairman of the House of Commons Defence Committee, Tobias Ellwood, tells us what he hopes to achieve in the job. Paul Beaver gives his view on the RAF’s new Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft.

America is unhappy that Britain has decided to allow the Chinese telecom company Huawei, but is it the right decision? How much of a blow is the UK departure from the Galileo sat project because of Brexit. The Tempest project is researching some of the key technologies that could be part of Britain’s next generation aircraft.  Mind-reading flight systems and artificial intelligence are among the concepts that could deliver air combat in 2030 and beyond, Sian Grzeszczyk reports from BAE Warton.