Overview
- The Ministry of Defence published the Armed Forces Bill confirming an increase in the maximum recall age for former personnel from 55 to 65 and standardising recall liability across services.
- The legislation expands the mobilisation trigger to include “warlike preparations,” lowering the current threshold of national danger or attack on the UK.
- The changes would be mandatory for those still serving, while many who have already left would need to opt in, with commencement slated for spring 2027 subject to Parliament.
- Government figures put the Strategic Reserve at about 95,000 people, though officials acknowledge record‑keeping gaps that could hinder locating and mobilising veterans.
- Senior commanders endorse the reforms to tap specialist veteran skills in cyber, intelligence, medicine, communications and training, even as funding pressures and delayed investment plans draw scrutiny.