Reservists are no replacement for regular troops, head of Army says

Gen Sir Nick Carter says reservists are for national emergencies, despite Government drive to integrate part-time soldiers into Regular Army

Army reservists are only to be used in a national emergency and should not be "routinely" called upon for active service, the new head of the British Army has said, in an apparent contradiction of Government policy.

Gen Sir Nick Carter, the Chief of General Staff, said the Army Reserves are "certainly not" intended to off-set cuts to Regular forces.

The Army will only be able to recruit reservists who are concerned about maintaining a career and family life if it assures them that they will only be deployed in the "worst case" scenario.

The comments appear to contradict the Government's plan to replace 20,000 regular soldiers with a boosted reserve force of 30,000.

Under the Coalition's cost cutting drive, ministers wanted to recruit an extra 11,000 part-time soldiers, while cutting the regular Army to 82,000, its lowest level since the Napoleonic Wars.

Unveiling the reforms in 2012, Philip Hammond, then the Defence Secretary, said he expected the enlarged Reservist force to "routinely share" jobs that were once the "exclusive domain of Regular forces".

Under the plans – which Gen Carter helped draw up – Reservists would be given better equipment, train alongside regular troops and expect to serve a six-month tour every five years.

The name Territorial Army was dropped to reflect the force's "full integration with the Army", Mr Hammond said.

However, the plans risk being blown off course after the Army failed to hit recruitment targets for the Reserves, in part due to a bungled IT project to handle paperwork.

Gen Carter, who took over as CGS last month, told BBC Radio 4's World at One that the Reserves are a separate force tasked with responding to national emergencies.

"It doesn't really matter how large your Army is, the nation would be the worse for not having a Reserve. A Reserve is what it sounds like; it's there for worst-case," he said.

"If there's a national emergency, we've got a body of trained people who are connected to civil society who are able to stand up.

"The sense that there is an obligation to be routinely and regularly used is not how I would see this being used. It is there for worst-case. It's certainly not there to mitigate the reduction in Regular numbers."

He said the Army would "refine" its message to would-be recruits to emphasise that service would not impinge too heavily on civilian life.

"What a Reservist has to balance an equilateral triangle between his employer, his family and himself. What you have to do is explain it's here for worst case – and keep that triangle absolutely in balance."

David Cameron has refused to maintain defence spending above two per cent, the Nato minimum, beyond 2016. Gen Carter said the Army risks being "overstretched" if current demands are increased.

"I think the important point for me to make as the head of the Army is to explain what the current size and shape and structure of the Army does for the nation and then politicians must judge whether it's appropriate for it to be reduced still further."

Gen Carter said he will reform Army career structures to allow women to serve longer, and will open up more male-only roles. "I feel strongly we need all the talent we can get," he said.

He said the Army should actively recruit Muslim men and women to help their communities integrate with wider British society.

"In reaching out to those communities it will be beneficial to all of us, to the country, to the army in terms of talent and those communities as well in terms of integration."