RFCA for Wales convened 150 members of the Armed Forces community, employers and partner organisations at HMS Cambria in Cardiff Bay on Thursday 16 October 2025. Major General (Retd) Stephen Potter QVRM TD VR delivered the keynote, setting the discussion in the context of the Strategic Defence Review 2025 and the Ministry of Defence’s Defence Reform programme.
Major General Potter leads the External Scrutiny Team, which provides the Defence Secretary and Parliament with an annual statutory assessment of the state of the UK’s Reserve Forces. The latest published report, covering 2024, highlights ongoing pressures in recruitment, training capacity and estate condition, and is mandated under the Defence Reform Act 2014.
The Strategic Defence Review 2025 sets a ten‑year programme to move UK Defence to warfighting readiness, anchored in a ‘NATO first’ posture and a whole‑of‑society approach to resilience. Government policy within the review includes raising defence spending to around 2.5% of GDP by 2027, accelerating adoption of drones, data and digital systems, and boosting Reserves alongside revitalised training and procurement.
Defence Reform, launched in late 2024 and implemented from 1 April 2025, reorganises leadership, budgets and acquisition to speed delivery and strengthen accountability. Measures include establishing a Military Strategic Headquarters, giving the Chief of the Defence Staff new powers to direct the Service Chiefs, replacing multiple budget lines with four portfolios, and creating a strengthened National Armaments Director. Rupert Pearce was appointed National Armaments Director on 13 October 2025.
For reserves, the data signal the scale of the task. Official statistics show the Volunteer Reserve strength at 31,780 on 1 July 2025, down 1.1% year‑on‑year. Parliamentary analysis notes the review’s recommendation to grow the active reserve by 20% in the 2030s, when funding allows. Expect a tighter focus on training availability, readiness outputs and unit‑employer coordination as SDR delivery beds in.
Cadet forces sit within the review’s ambition to reconnect Defence with society. SDR 2025 explicitly proposes expanding the Cadet Forces and names the Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Associations as key partners for public engagement and awareness. Any growth will depend on estate condition, safeguarding assurance and local education partnerships across the four nations.
Employer engagement remains pivotal. At the briefing, General Dynamics Land Systems–UK contributed the employer perspective on supporting reservists. Nationally, the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme recognised over 200 Gold award holders and 307 Silver awardees in 2025, while statutory financial assistance continues to offset mobilisation costs, including support for replacement staff and training. Organisations can align support through the Armed Forces Covenant and ERS frameworks.
Operational views at the event came from 614 (County of Glamorgan) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force, HMS Cambria personnel and Army Cadet Force representatives. The Ulysses Trust recognised the best university expedition of 2024-a demanding, self‑sustained canoe journey in remote Sweden by university reservists from Wales, Birmingham and Bristol. Broad engagement ensured a balanced picture across reserves, cadets and employers.
Looking ahead, delivery rather than new pledges will define 2025–26 in Wales. The Defence Industrial Strategy 2025 and the National Armaments Director’s remit point to faster fielding cycles and closer industry‑MOD collaboration, shaping training tempo, equipment availability and local engagement activity. Stakeholders should track Reserve workforce measures, cadet expansion plans and employer support uptake as SDR and Defence Reform move into implementation.