UK to call up military veterans for major war resilience drill

The short version

• The British government plans to mobilize an unspecified number of military veterans next year to evaluate national resilience in the event of war.[BBC News]
• The exercise draws from the strategic reserve, an estimated 95,000 retired regular and reserve officers across the armed forces.[BBC News]
• Ministers recently raised the strategic reserve age limit from 55 to 65 and eased the criteria required for call-up.[BBC News]
• Officials have not yet determined the exact number of veterans who will be summoned for the drill.[BBC News]

Key facts

• The UK government will mobilize selected military veterans next year in a major exercise to test national war resilience.[BBC News]
• Armed forces minister Louise Sandher-Jones said the exercise will test the Ministry of Defence on a scale unseen for a very long time.[BBC News]
• The British military's strategic reserve includes roughly 95,000 retired regular and reserve officers across the Army, Navy, and Royal Air Force.[BBC News]
• Earlier this year, ministers increased the age ceiling for the strategic reserve from 55 to 65 and lowered the threshold for call-ups.[BBC News]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• Some veterans to be called up to test UK's war resilienceBBC News - Top Stories