A retired army chief has outlined how conscription would work in Britain if ordinary citizens were called into action amid growing fears over a major European conflict. Lord Richard Dannatt, the former head of the British Army, said reservists would be mobilised first, with the situation watched closely before the UK Government considered a wider draft.
Order of mobilisation under a potential draft
Lord Dannatt said there is probably already a plan in place. He believes Britain could turn first to army reservists, recalled former service personnel and younger adults if a major war forced the government into action, before looking at the wider picture. He added that at present the idea of making it compulsory to go to war is not on the table, but it could be if things continue to mount and eventually kick off.
“I would expect to see the Army Reserve mobilised first, then Regular Reservists recalled to active service, and then His Majesty’s Government would need to consider conscription, starting with 18-24-year-olds,” he said.
Defence readiness concerns
Defence experts have warned that Britain is ill prepared to expand its forces should a huge war break out, and that if a major European conflict erupts the country could find itself on the back burner before things even kick off. Growing concerns over Russia’s military ambitions, uncertainty about the future of US support for NATO and pressure on European allies to strengthen their defences have intensified questions about how quickly Britain could expand its armed forces in a crisis.
“Britain would not necessarily begin by compelling civilians with no military experience to join the armed forces. Reservists and former service personnel would provide an initial pool of people with military training, although recalling them at scale would present substantial logistical challenges,” Lord Dannatt said.
