Britain cuts army reserve spending amid defence budget reductions

British Army reservists are set to serve fewer days as the military is ordered to make savings in its reserve budget before the end of the year, The Telegraph reports.

The report said army reserve commanding officers have reportedly been briefed that spending must be reduced, with the cuts expected to lower service commitments by an average of four to six days per reservist.

The reductions will affect not only training but also other duties, including protecting the UK's critical national infrastructure and supporting cyber warfare operations.

A military source told The Telegraph: “There is no such thing as just ‘training’. It is about maintaining a credible deterrent and ability to deploy force at readiness. It is impossible to do this with a regular and reserve Army sitting on its rucksack.”

The Royal Air Force and Royal Navy reserves have also been instructed to identify savings within the current financial year, although the Army reserves are expected to bear the largest share of the cuts.

Army reservists normally serve a minimum of 27 days a year, although they can undertake additional training, including a 15-day annual camp.

One military source described the timing of the reductions as “significant”, warning that they would have a disproportionate effect during the remainder of the year because the annual camp, which accounts for the largest number of reserve service days, has already taken place.

The cuts come as the full-time Army stands at around 70,000 soldiers, its smallest size since the Napoleonic era. With the regular force under increasing pressure, reserves are increasingly being relied upon to carry out operational duties rather than simply undertake training.

The development follows repeated warnings that Britain's Armed Forces have been weakened to the point where they would struggle to fight a war against Russia.

Louise Sandher-Jones, the Armed Forces minister, said on Monday that Britain was preparing to mobilise an army of veterans as it readies for a potential war with Russia, which could begin as early as 2030.

However, Steve Barclay MP, a former Conservative cabinet minister, questioned the government's commitment to strengthening Britain's war readiness while reducing the role of reserve forces.

He told The Telegraph: “It’s a huge mistake. There is a misunderstanding about the reserves.”

“They infill lots of roles – they aren’t just there for war. There is a lot of ongoing support. The reserves are doing valuable stuff day in day out. They aren’t an insurance policy to call upon in case the Russians do anything.”

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov