Instead of reviving the conscription system, the plan is to increase the voluntary influx of young people through an experiential system that combines salary and vocational training. According to CNN and other foreign media, the British government announced that it will test run a one-year basic military service program for young people from March 2026. Participants will receive practical training as well as basic military training. The program targets young people who do not choose to enter college or get a job immediately after graduating from high school. The plan is to allow them to experience military life while receiving a certain period of salary, and then make their own judgment on whether they will serve long-term.
The British government plans to organize a curriculum so that participants can learn technologies that can be used by private companies such as logistics, engineering, supply chain management, and IT system operation, not just military training. It is explained that the focus was on developing “job transfer capabilities” such as problem-solving skills, teamwork and leadership. Salaries and detailed training courses have not been finalized, but the annual salary for general recruits is expected to reach about £26,000. The government plans to initially recruit about 150 people to test the system and then expand it to more than 1,000 in the long run depending on the performance.
“Our goal is to provide a pathway for the younger generation to directly experience the skills and training provided by the military,” British Defense Secretary John Healy said. “This could be a turning point in the way of securing defense personnel.” The system started from a serious shortage of troops facing the British military. The U.K. has maintained a recruitment system since it abolished the mandatory military service system in 1960, but has not met its annual recruitment target for the past 10 years. As of October this year, the number of regular British troops stood at about 137,000, showing a continuous decline.
In a report last year, the British House of Representatives’ Defense Committee warned that “if the current trend continues, it will be difficult to respond to a high-intensity all-out war.” In fact, it is known that only five new enlistments are currently in the British military when eight are discharged from the military.
For this reason, last year, the sense of crisis grew to the point that the then ruling party considered reviving the mandatory service system as a pledge for early general elections. However, considering social opposition, analysts say that the “collaborative service model,” which combines salary and career design, has emerged as a realistic alternative rather than compulsory conscription.
EJ SONG
US ASIA JOURNAL
