The UK will hold a major exercise next year to test its ability to recall and deploy former military personnel during a crisis, The Telegraph reported.
The drill will involve members of the country’s strategic reserve, a pool of up to 95,000 former service members who remain available for recall after leaving the armed forces.
Officials will test the procedures for contacting, mobilizing, equipping, and employing retired personnel.
Armed Forces Minister Louise Sandher-Jones told the British newspaper that the strategic reserve would be activated on a scale not seen in recent years.
She added that former personnel could play an important role in national defense despite the reserve having been used infrequently in recent decades.
The exercise will form part of a broader program assessing the UK’s ability to respond to a major conflict or national emergency.
It comes as the government reviews military preparedness amid concerns about Russia’s activities in Europe and warnings that NATO countries could face a direct confrontation with Moscow in the next few years.
Veteran Mobilization
The drill will also assess London’s ability to locate and contact eligible veterans, following reports that the government had lost track of many former service members.
Under existing legislation, former regular and reserve officers remain liable for recall throughout their lives.
For other military personnel, the country is required to maintain contact for the first six years after they leave full-time service.
Mobilization rules are also being revised. Under proposed changes, the maximum age at which veterans can be recalled will rise from 55 to 65.
Existing rules limit recalls to a national emergency, serious threat, or attack on the UK, but former personnel will now also be eligible for mobilization during “war-like preparations.”
