Key facts
- Sky News' award-winning podcast 'The Wargame' is being adapted into a television series.
- The podcast simulates a potential Russian attack on the UK, involving fictional government and military responses.
- Real-life former ministers and military chiefs participate in the podcast's simulations.
- Deborah Haynes, Sky News' security and defence editor, is the writer and presenter of the podcast.
- The series explores hypothetical geopolitical crises and defense strategies in response to escalating international tensions.
Sky News' award-winning podcast, 'The Wargame,' which simulates how Britain might respond to a Russian attack, is set to be adapted into a television series. The podcast, created by Sky News and Tortoise Media, features real-life former ministers, military chiefs, and national security experts engaging in hypothetical crisis scenarios.
Written and presented by Sky News' security and defence editor, Deborah Haynes, 'The Wargame' explores low-likelihood but high-impact scenarios. One such scenario involves escalating tensions with Russia, starting with explosions at a naval base and leading to a potential attack on the UK. The podcast dramatizes emergency government meetings and military decision-making processes.
In the podcast's simulation, former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace portrays the UK's prime minister, supported by figures like Jack Straw as Foreign Secretary and Lord Mark Sedwill as national security adviser. General Richard Barrons, a former top commander, plays the role of the UK's military chief, advising on defense readiness. The series highlights concerns about the UK's defense capabilities and the broader geopolitical context, including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and questions surrounding international alliances.