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Military veterans aged 65 face being mobilised under new powers to prepare the Armed Forces for war.<\/p>\n
The Government is set to increase the age at which the nation\u2019s pool of retired soldiers, known as the strategic reserve, can be called upon from 55 to 65.<\/p>\n
The new measures are being introduced as part of a new Armed Forces bill which will be published in Parliament later.<\/p>\n
The changes will make it easier to mobilise tens of thousands of former military personnel.<\/p>\n
The Army has shrunk to its smallest number in more than 200 years, with just over 70,000 full-time, fully-trained troops ready to deploy to the frontline.<\/p>\n
Under existing rules, the pool of retired soldiers can be called upon in the event of \u201cnational danger, great emergency or attack in the UK\u201d.<\/p>\n
However, under the new changes this will be lowered to \u201cwarlike preparations\u201d, which is already the threshold for reservists who have recently left the Armed Forces.<\/p>\n
The measures come amid fears Britain could be dragged into a full-scale war with Russia in a matter of years.<\/p>\n
Defence and security chiefs have repeatedly warned of the potential for large-scale war in recent months.<\/p>\n
Al Carns, the Armed Forces minister, said just before Christmas that war was \u201calready knocking on Europe\u2019s door\u201d and that Britain had to be prepared for a conflict that was \u201cbigger\u201d than those fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
Last week, the UK announced it would be deploying troops to Ukraine, alongside France, if and when a ceasefire deal between Moscow and Kyiv is agreed.<\/p>\n
While it is unclear exactly how many troops could be involved, reports have suggested up to 7,500 UK personnel could be deployed.<\/p>\n
If this figure is accurate, it would effectively mean that around 21,000 personnel would be committed to Ukraine \u2013 with one cohort deployed, another in training and a third recovering for operations there.<\/p>\n
However, military analysts have warned such a deployment would stretch the Armed Forces and would effectively become an \u201call of Army effort\u201d to maintain.<\/p>\n
Sources at the Ministry of Defence have pushed back against suggestions that 7,500 troops could be deployed, with insiders saying it could be lower.<\/p>\n
On Friday, the Government pledged to spend \u00a3200m to upgrade armoured vehicles and buy new kit in preparation for the peacekeeping mission.<\/p>\n
The proposed changes would come into force next year if approved by Parliament, the BBC reported.<\/p>\n
The Government estimates there are around 95,000 people within the strategic reserve, including veterans from the Royal Navy, Army, and RAF.<\/p>\n
These are different to the reserve forces, which comprise personnel who volunteer part-time to serve in the military. Currently there are almost 32,000 activist reservists across the three wings of the Armed Forces.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n