Britons as old as 65 could be called up to serve their country in the event of a World War Three, with the mobilisation threshold for veterans also being lowered to "war-like preparations".
Earlier this year, Labour announced it would raise the age limit of the Strategic Reserve as part of efforts to ensure the country is better prepared for conflict amid rising tensions. The move has gained significance in recent weeks after Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said Britain must be ready for war in 1,000 days.
Strategic Reserve Age Raised from 55 to 65
The Strategic Reserve is made up of two elements — the Regular Reserve, which comprises former service personnel who have an ongoing liability to train and be called out if necessary, and the Recall Reserve, which is veterans who have a legal liability to be recalled in the direst of situations.
In January, the Government announced plans to up the age limit of the Strategic Reserve from 55 to 65. This means veterans just one year off the state pension age (66) could be called up. Raising the maximum recall age is designed to make it easier to mobilise former personnel in a crisis. The changes, set to take effect in the spring of next year, are part of the Armed Forces Bill.
Mobilisation Threshold Lowered
Those who have already left the military will not be affected unless they opt in. The legislation also allows the threshold for mobilisation to be lowered to "war-like preparations" from a "national danger, great emergency or attack on the UK".
Announcing the plans in January, Commander Standing Joint Command, Lieutenant General Paul Griffiths, said: "Our Strategic Reserve represents a wealth of expertise built over years of military and civilian experience – from cyber and intelligence to medicine and communications. These reforms will allow us to mobilise that talent rapidly when it matters most, strengthening our readiness and aligning with a similar approach many NATO forces are taking to bolster their own resilience."
Veterans Ready to Serve
About 95,000 people are estimated to be liable for recall as part of the Strategic Reserve, although the Ministry of Defence (MoD) does not publish statistics on the Recall Reserve. Retired troops are set to be called up next year for a major exercise testing Britain's resilience for war.
Defence analyst Nicholas Drummond, who previously served in the Army, told the Express earlier this year he would be among those eligible to be called up under the plans and was confident former troops in their 60s would be prepared to do so. He said: "We're up for it. We served our country during the Cold War – if a call comes again, we're there. You can quote me on that." He said the veterans will likely still have good shooting skills and could be used to train new recruits. While it is technically not conscription, the plans do bear some similarities.
Calls for conscription have grown in recent years amid persistent concerns over the size of the UK Armed Forces. The Ministry of Defence has insisted it has no plans to introduce conscription and its focus is on bolstering the professional military.
