The UK shrinks army and expands military reserves

16 July, 2023 British military personnel. Photo credits: Zurab Kurtsikidze/EPA. Former soldiers of the UK will be called on to join the reserves as part of a major overhaul of the military that will shrink the Army to its smallest size, The Telegraph reports.

A paper expected to be laid in Parliament on Tuesday will outline plans for former regular soldiers to help "revitalise" a strategic reserve of troops. The changes are expected to be announced alongside confirmation of government plans to reduce the size of the Army to 73,000 troops. The British Government is also proposing to slash the number of tanks operated by the UK forces.

British military personnel on training.

Photo from open sources.

At the same time, Britain abandoned plans to decommission the Warrior infantry fighting vehicles, referring to the lessons of the war in Ukraine. In addition to shrinking the army, the reforms will include funding for robotics, laser weapons, as well as implant and prosthetic technology. More than GBP6.6 billion of the defence budget of the UK will go towards the development of new technology, and GBP2.5 billion will be directed to boosting the country's weapon stockpiles.

Simultaneously with reducing the army headcount, the British government is increasing the country's defense budget. The overall budget stands at a record level of some GBP50 billion. According to Lord Lancaster, a former defence minister, the force should be built around those who have recently left the regular forces but are still legally committed to be called out.

British military personnel on training.

Photo from open sources.

He adds that the reserve forces should include any ex-regulars and ex-reservists who wish to continue to serve in the strategic reserve.

Lord Lancaster believes that the activation of the strategic reserve is justified by the fact that the threats of the Cold War era have returned.