Former UK service personnel could be recalled to duty up to the age of 65 under legislation being introduced through the Armed Forces Bill, with the threshold for recall also being lowered.
The measures are set out in the Defence Investment Plan, published this week, which confirms that the Bill will strengthen what the Ministry of Defence terms the Strategic Reserve, comprising former service personnel who retain an Ex Regular and Recall Reserve liability.
The key changes, the plan states, include “increasing the recall liability for personnel up to the age of 65 and lowering the threshold for recall so that Reservists can be recalled for ‘warlike preparations’ in addition to the current requirement for ‘national danger, great emergency, or attack on the UK’.”
“This will allow us to mobilise talent rapidly when it matters most, strengthening our readiness and bolstering our resilience,” the document adds, confirming that a separate Defence Readiness Bill is planned later this Parliament to go further.
The plan is direct about the value it places on part-time personnel, stating: “The diversity of knowledge, skills, experience, and behaviours that Reserves bring from their outside jobs are an invaluable strength.” It commits to investing in new methods and technology for engagement with the Strategic Reserve, expanding access to specialist skills while protecting time, funding and equipment for reserves in training.
On the state of the regular force, the plan states: “This Government is renewing the contract with those who serve. For the first time since 2021, UK Regular Forces numbers are now growing.” Intake has exceeded outflow for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines since January 2025, for the RAF since October 2025, and for the Army since April 2026, with Army intake outstripping outflow by 980 personnel in the twelve months to 31 March 2026. Longer-term plans include increasing the Army’s regular component to 76,000 personnel in the 2030 to 2035 period.
The plan concedes that the Strategic Defence Review’s recommendation to increase cadet numbers by 30 per cent will not be achieved by 2030, with the target now pushed back to 2035. “This difficult decision has enabled Defence to increase the rate of transformation of the Armed Forces,” the document states.
Sensible thinking and there is a lot of ex-service experience out there and by God we will need it.
Will you be recalling the pilots and ground crews of the Wildcat force you’re shortly to make redundant?
Or the SF personnel and others you want to hound through the courts?
Scum….
Those who make this legislation should go and serve themselves before asking the old and bold to go and do it again.
At least we’re better than the yanks and captain bonespurs
all we know for sure is that the warmongers won’t be the ones who fight, they never are, why any young males would join up to fight for a country where they’re second class citizens is beyond me
If that idiot Charles can break his oath then i,m breaking mine the answer is go and get with an off simple as that, i won,t be defending an upcoming Islamic state
Im just wondering what role I’ll be fulfilling 😁