The RF30 Review, commissioned by the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir Nick Carter in February 2020, was led by Brigadier the Rt Honourable the Lord Lancaster of Kimbolton. The review was driven by 3 key factors:

• The Integrated Operating Concept, which outlines Defence’s renewed commitment to embrace information-age capabilities, conduct persistent overseas engagement, deepen resilience and increase integration across the services

• The imperative to make the UK more resilient to natural disasters including pandemics, and grey-zone activities such as cyber-attacks, which will require greater integration of reservists to bridge the gap between the military and civil sectors

• The ambitions set out in the Defence People Strategy to draw more on the diversity, skills and networks that reservists bring to defence, and to integrate the reserves as part of Defence’s People Transformation Programme.

As set out in the Integrated Review and Defence Command Paper, evolving how and when the reserve force is utilised will be vital in planning for the challenges of tomorrow. This review outlines a vision for the future contribution of the reserves to defence and wider government objectives, set out to 2030.

RF30 provides the framework for an empowered reserve force, further integrated with both their regular counterparts and wider defence organisation. This would enable greater access to the valuable skills of the reserves, supporting the delivery of the plans outlined in the Integrated Review.

Minister for the Armed Forces, James Heappey said:

We thank Lord Lancaster for his thorough and insightful review into our Reserve Forces.

The Integrated Review and Defence Command Paper emphasised the importance of adapting to new and evolving threats; our reserves will play a vital role in supporting defence and wider government as we take forward this new direction.

We will now examine the recommendations in detail and respond formally to the report in due course.

The RF30 Review has made 18 recommendations in 4 broad categories:

1) Redefining the reserves’ relationship with society

2) Expanding the role of the reserves

3) Unlocking the potential of reservists

4) Transforming support to the reserves.

The RF30 Review will now be considered in full, with further work to take place in examining the feasibility of the recommendations in order to develop a defence change programme.

Read the Reserve Forces Review 2030 report.