UK ‘hole yr troopers’ scheme launches amid calls to ‘deter Putin’ and warfare fears

A new voluntary military gap year programme opens in March 2026 for under-25s, as Russia rejects a Ukraine peace deal and an expert urges Britain to boost armed forces to counter threats

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As news breaks of ‘gap year soldiers’ being prepared for combat zones, this is what military conscription could realistically entail in the UK come 2026, featuring some fascinating insights from a specialist.

Set to launch recruitment in March 2026, those under 25 will allegedly gain access to a fresh gap year military scheme, designed to strengthen army enlistment numbers and assist young people in developing essential life capabilities against a backdrop of Russian aggression.

The programme, which draws inspiration from a comparable Australian model, will commence with a modest group of 150 participants, with aspirations to eventually accommodate over 1,000 on an annual basis.

Young civilians will experience military life firsthand, or alternatively gain valuable transferable abilities should they opt against full enlistment.

It’s believed there’s no obligation to commit to full-time service; nevertheless, those who elect to remain within the Armed Forces may receive further preparation for operational deployment, reports the Mirror.

This development coincides with Russia’s rejection of a Ukrainian peace proposal, whilst simultaneously declaring British troops “legitimate military targets” in an unsettling fresh warning amid concerns over a “significant air strike” on Kyiv.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron have endorsed a fresh strategy to create military ‘hubs’ in Ukraine should an agreement materialise to safeguard the nation from future invasions, a decision that has clearly irritated the Kremlin. In a menacing declaration, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has levelled accusations at Britain and its allies, claiming they are plotting to “continue the militarisation of Ukraine”.

She warned: “The Russian Foreign Ministry warns that the deployment of military units and the setting-up of military facilities, storages and other Western infrastructure on Ukrainian territory will be qualified as foreign intervention that directly threatens the security of Russia and other European countries.”

Professor Anthony Glees from The University of Buckingham, said: “One of the most important and cheapest ways we have of countering and addressing these myriad real threats to our way of life, increasing the size of our armed forces through some form of conscription, is totally ignored.”

For decades, National Service has sparked fierce controversy; yet, successive governments have consistently dismissed any prospect of military conscription. This stance is chiefly rooted in the belief that armed forces function most effectively when staffed by volunteers who have willingly stepped forward to serve their nation.

Professor Glees added: “A well-trained, resourceful UK land army of young and spirited Brits will deter Putin where nukes fear to tread, because as his attack on Ukraine shows, our nukes do not deter him, any more than his nukes deter Ukraine.”

The academic also shared his vision of what National Service could entail in modern Britain, including potential incentives to make such a scheme appealing to young people today.

Professor Glees said: “I favour conscription for national service for everyone capable of it. Not everyone should undergo military training, as in weapons training; cyber skills, for example, for offensive and defensive purposes, are a form of weapons training. But those who are up for proper military training should be given it. The EU, the UK and Norway have a population of 523m, more than times as large as Russia with 144m. Our joint GDP is $24tr compared with Russia’s $2tr.”

Defence Secretary John Healey, discussing the forthcoming scheme, declared that a “new era for defence” signified “opening up new opportunities for young people to experience and learn from our Armed Forces.”

He said: “This gap year scheme will give Britain’s young people a taste of the incredible skills and training on offer across the Army, Royal Navy and RAF. It’s part of our determination to reconnect society with our forces, and drive a whole of society approach to our nation’s defence.

“As families gather at this time of year, and young people contemplate their futures, I want the outstanding opportunities available in our Armed Forces to be part of that conversation in homes across the UK.”

With the cost-of-living crisis as a backdrop, under-25s might be enticed by opportunities that could assist them in taking that crucial first step in life. Professor Glees observed: “We can afford to offer our young people fabulous inducements to commit to a year’s national service, for example, cheap loans for mortgages, free university and college places.

“In the National Security Strategy, the Prime Minister says we need to ‘unleash a defence dividend, to use national security to strengthen our country’. Exactly so. That dividend is not simply AI and IT; it is our young people who need to understand that their future liberty relies on their willingness to serve. That is where conscription comes in.”

When it comes to military priorities, whilst nuclear conflict dominates public discourse, Professor Glees maintains that any forthcoming European conflict “will be fought with conventional means, not nukes”, which he stresses “are last resort weapons”.

This suggests that “a strong land army” might prove far more crucial than a formidable nuclear stockpile.

Professor Glees explains: “Putin knows that if we were to use them to prevent him from taking over our country, we could destroy Russia in the bat of an eyelid. But he also knows that we would be committing suicide in doing so. That is why conventional strength is real strength.

“A future war in Europe (just like the current war in Ukraine or the war between Israel and Iran) will be fought with conventional means, not nukes. Nukes are last resort weapons, but leave plenty of space for conventional forces to go past them, like the Maginot Line, which was meant to defend France from the Germans, but they simply went over the top of it.

“Until recently, we’ve put just about all our defence eggs in our Vanguard-class Trident-carrying submarines. In fact, we need a strong land army to keep our shores safe, not least from the very things the Review outlines, which include the key demand that we properly protect our borders, which we are not doing at the moment.”

Conscription throughout the centuries Brits first experienced conscription during the conflict we now refer to as World War I. Prior to this, such compulsion hadn’t been used for regular army recruitment since the early 18th century, when vagrants and those in debt were briefly subjected to an early form of conscription, according to the Official Public Record.

However, the monumental global events of the 20th century would alter everything. Passed in January 1916, the Military Service Act 1916 enforced conscription on all single men aged between 18 and 41, unless they were exempt.

This was extended to 50 in April 1918. Two years later, in 1920, conscription was abolished, but it was not to be permanent.

On September 3, 1939, the same day Britain declared war on Germany, Parliament enacted the National Service (Armed Forces) Act, which mandated all men between the ages of 18 and 41 to register for service. Exemptions were given to those deemed medically unfit, as well as individuals working in crucial sectors such as farming, engineering, and medicine.

Any conscientious objectors were compelled to present their case before a tribunal.

In December 1941, a second National Service Act was enacted, mandating all unmarried women and childless widows aged between 20 and 30 to be eligible for conscription. This followed a confidential report by economist Sir William Beveridge, which concluded that compulsory military service for women was inevitable.

By the middle of 1943, nearly 90 per cent of single women and 80 per cent of married women were contributing to vital war efforts, according to the BBC. Concurrently, under this new act, men below 60 years old were obligated to partake in some form of National Service, including military service for those under the age of 50.

A significant number of women joined the Women’s Land Army or civil defence units, such as Air Raid Precautions and the Women’s Voluntary Services. While traditional ‘women’s roles’ often meant working at home, the war shifted this dynamic, with many women taking up jobs vacated by men serving on the front lines.

Compulsory enlistment ceased after the war, leaving Britain’s armed forces composed entirely of professional volunteers. Despite the war ending in 1945, National Service persisted in the UK until the 1960s to address manpower shortages, with the final servicemen being discharged in 1963.

Today, women are eligible for all positions within the armed forces. This encompasses both combat roles and the Royal Marines, following the removal of all restrictions in 2018.

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