UK to Call Up Veterans for Major Military Exercise to Test Britain’s War Resilience

UK to Call Up Veterans for Major Military Exercise to Test Britain’s War Resilience

Tuesday, September 8, 2026 — 3:45 PM

English Introduction

In a major move reflecting Britain’s growing focus on military preparedness, the UK is preparing for a large-scale government and military exercise in 2027 that will involve selected veterans and strategic reservists to test the country’s ability to withstand the pressures of war.

English Article

The BBC reported that some military veterans will be called up to take part in a major exercise next year designed to test the United Kingdom’s resilience and ability to respond to a potential armed conflict.

Armed Forces Minister Louise Sandher-Jones said the government exercise would test the Ministry of Defence “on a scale not seen for a long time” in terms of its response to a potential conflict.

The exercise will involve an as-yet unspecified number of members of the UK’s Strategic Reserve, which includes an estimated 95,000 former regular and reserve service personnel.

The move is part of the Ministry of Defence’s plan for a “real step change” in the way the Strategic Reserve is used, following warnings about difficulties in retaining military personnel.

Sandher-Jones is herself a member of the Strategic Reserve. She previously served in the British Army as an intelligence officer before becoming a Member of Parliament.

She told the House of Lords National Resilience Committee that members of the Strategic Reserve would be involved in the government’s training program next year.

The 2027 training will focus on procedures for the mobilisation, deployment and equipping of retired personnel on a large scale if required.

The development follows a warning in January from Chief of the Defence Staff Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton about the lack of an effective system for engaging members of the Strategic Reserve.

Earlier this year, ministers increased the maximum age for joining the Strategic Reserve, covering the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, from 55 to 65, while also lowering the threshold for calling reservists into service.