Cadet expansion target slips five years to 2035

The planned 30 per cent expansion of the UK’s Cadet Forces has been pushed back by five years, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed, with the target date moving from 2030 to 2035 as part of measures the department says are required to increase the rate of Armed Forces transformation.

The confirmation came in a written answer from Defence Minister Calvin Bailey to Reform UK MP Andrew Rosindell, who asked what steps are being taken to increase the number of new cadets joining in 2026. “The Strategic Defence Review recommended an expansion of in-school and community-based Cadet Forces across the UK of 30% by 2030. This timeline has recently been re-set in the Defence Investment Plan to 2035 as one of the measures required to increase the rate of Armed Forces transformation,” Bailey said, as quoted in the answer.

“Nevertheless, we are continuing to invest to expand and modernise the Cadet Forces and improve opportunities for young people across the UK.”

The answer puts a figure on the ambition for the first time in this form, with the 30 per cent increase equating to an additional 40,000 cadets, and confirms that work to determine how the growth will be delivered remains at an early stage, with the department undertaking what Bailey called a detailed assessment of the enablers required to support expansion, described as a key element in setting the foundations for sustainable growth.

The expansion was among the more widely welcomed recommendations of the review, which pointed to the Cadet Forces’ role in social mobility, skills and the connection between the Armed Forces and society, and the Government’s own answer restates the case, citing evidence that participation improves school performance and employment prospects. Delivering growth on that scale though depends heavily on adult volunteers, the perennial constraint on cadet numbers, and the answer confirms a new Cadets Action Plan is in development focused on modernising the cadet experience, providing an attractive offer to recruit and retain volunteers, and ensuring cadets and the adults who support them have the right resources.

The answer also reveals that the first National Cadets Week will be held in October 2026 to raise the profile of what Bailey called one of the country’s most effective youth organisations, showcasing the MoD Cadet Forces and giving thousands of young people the opportunity to discover the cadet experience.