The UK government is preparing to unveil sweeping new legislation that will make it significantly easier to mobilise tens of thousands of former armed forces personnel, as Britain intensifies its preparations for potential future conflict.
New Powers for a New Era of Confrontation
Fresh legislation overhauling the armed forces is due to be presented to Parliament today, January 15, 2026. The measures specifically target the strategic reserve, a pool of around 95,000 ex-service personnel, rather than volunteer reservists. Under the proposed changes, the age limit for this group will be raised from 55 to 65, meaning they could remain on standby for an extra decade.
Furthermore, the legal threshold for calling them back into service will be lowered. Currently, they can only be mobilised in cases of “national danger, great emergency or attack in the UK”. This will be reduced to “warlike preparations”, bringing the rules for strategic reservists in line with those for more recently departed personnel.
Mounting Pressure and a £28bn Funding Warning
The move comes amid heightened global tensions, from Russia’s ongoing nuclear threats to former US President Donald Trump’s renewed talk of annexing Greenland. This has intensified pressure on the UK to boost defence spending and military readiness.
While the Labour government has pledged to increase defence funding to 2.5% of national income by 2027, rising to 3.5% by 2035, it has not denied reports of a stark private warning. Chief of the Defence Staff, Sir Richard Knighton, is said to have alerted Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and the Chancellor before Christmas of a looming £28 billion gap in projected spending plans.
Publishing a new national security strategy, Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden warned MPs that the country had entered an “era of confrontation with hostile actors” and must actively prepare for the UK coming under direct threat. The strategy also flagged “Iranian hostile activity on British soil” and warned that adversaries are seeking to disrupt energy supplies and key supply chains.
Who Could Be Called Up?
The proposed changes focus on the strategic reserve, but the government's broader preparations have sparked discussion about who might be mobilised in a major conflict. Historically, the first groups targeted include:
- Reservists – Civilian volunteers who serve part-time.
- Strategic Reservists – The 95,000-strong pool of ex-full-time personnel.
- Young, fit men – Typically called first due to physical condition and trainability.
- Single adults without children – Governments often try to avoid separating parents from families.
In a prolonged conflict, the net could widen to include older age groups and, potentially, women. A 2024 YouGov poll found 72% of Britons support men and women serving equally on the front lines, though the UK has never formally drafted women for direct combat.
If approved by MPs, the legislative package, which includes routinely renewed technical measures, is scheduled to take effect next year. The government was advised to “reinvigorate the relationship with the strategic reserves” by last year’s Strategic Defence Review.
