The top 10 BFBS Forces News stories that you loved the most during 2024

It's been another busy year for the Armed Forces community and the BFBS Forces News team has had the pleasure of covering some of the biggest news stories which matter to you.

So, we've put together a list of some of the most viewed and clicked stories from the past 12 months so you can take a look back on 2024.

1. Armed police officer confronts American tourists for heckling member of King's Guard

Earlier this year, an armed police officer was praised for stepping in and shutting down a group of tourists who had been heckling a British soldier standing guard in London.

A video posted on social media site TikTok appeared to show a group of American tourists filming the soldier and shouting out names, hoping to get a reaction from the Household Cavalry trooper who was standing guard.

2. Drone-killer HMS Diamond tweaked tactics to down waves of Houthi attacks

The captain of HMS Diamond said the ship made some tactical tweaks to repel numerous attacks by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.

The Type 45 destroyer had a busy deployment which included shooting down seven Houthi attack drones in just one day – a record for a British warship – and becoming the first Royal Navy vessel to fire Sea Viper missiles in anger.

3. Defence Secretary promises Armed Forces LGBT compensation will be paid swiftly

The compensation scheme for LGBT veterans who were dismissed from the Armed Forces for being gay were told compensation would pay out "soon into the new year".

However, Defence Secretary John Healey acknowledged that "time is ticking" for many veterans and that the scheme will not take long to make decisions.

4. How RAF pilot's quick thinking after complete engine failure earned him the Air Force Cross

Flight Lieutenant Ben Wallis recalled how his Merlin helicopter suffered total mechanical failure, losing power to all three engines, during a nighttime training sortie in Denmark in 2018.

Everyone on board survived thanks to his quick reactions and the way he managed to land the stricken aircraft – which he attributed to his training.

5. On the frontline in Ukraine with the crews operating the UK-supplied Challenger 2

BFBS Forces News reporters Simon Newton and Hannah King's reporting from the frontline in eastern Ukraine grabbed your attention and was popular among our audience.

The pair met members of the 82nd Air Assault Brigade, one of Ukraine's elite units and one of the forces that punched across the border into Kursk last August. 

6. The piece of RAF history left abandoned in Cyprus' eerie buffer zone

Abandoned at the UN buffer zone in Cyprus lies a piece of Royal Air Force history – an Avro Shackleton, which BFBS Forces News reporter Sofie Cacoyannis went to take a look at.

The aircraft, which was designed to conduct anti-submarine patrols out in the North Atlantic, is lying in a field at the former RAF Nicosia.

7. Exclusive: Inside the factory building British Army's new revolutionary CT40 cannon

The British Army announced it was set to enhance its military capabilities with the addition of 589 Ajax armoured vehicles by the end of the decade.

At the core of this vehicle is the innovative 40mm case-telescoped cannon.

BFBS Forces News reporter Simon Newton was given an exclusive look inside the French factory where the advanced weaponry is being produced.

8. Inside the Army's experiment to make Sandhurst better for female officer cadets

BFBS Forces News got an exclusive look at the British Army's new Critical Mass trial that's in action at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Over a period of four months, our news crew followed cadets taking part in the landmark trial which aims to boost female numbers in a platoon from 10% to 30%.

You can watch more of Sandhurst Women: Leading the Fight on our website or YouTube channel.

9. RAF deterrence is back after 30-year sabbatical, Chief of the Air Staff says

"After a 30-year sabbatical, deterrence is back", with the service needing to move back to its Cold War role of being strategically capable, the head of the RAF said at the annual Trenchard Memorial lecture at the defence think tank Royal United Services Institute.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton said he had not known a more challenging strategic environment in his 35 years of service.

10. HMS Richmond shoots down two Houthi drones in Sea Ceptor first

HMS Richmond's crew were pictured used the ship's Sea Ceptor missiles to shoot down two Houthi drones in the Red Sea.

It marked the first surface-to-air engagement and use of Sea Ceptor missiles by a Type 23 frigate.

2025 is sure to be just as busy for the Armed Forces community and BFBS Forces News will be there to cover the stories which matter most to you. 

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