UK raises military strategic reserve age limit from 55 to 65

Military veterans aged 65 face being mobilised under new powers to prepare the Armed Forces for war.

The Government is set to increase the age at which the nation’s pool of retired soldiers, known as the strategic reserve, can be called upon from 55 to 65.

The new measures are being introduced as part of a new Armed Forces bill, which will be published in Parliament later.

The changes will make it easier to mobilise tens of thousands of former military personnel.

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.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/15/veterans-aged-65-told-to-prepare-for-war/

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