Chapter 2 - Personnel
                             
Table 2.15 Strength of the Reserve Forces1 at 1 April each year
Data Quality Notes

Regular Reserve

Data on Naval Service Regular Reservists at 1 April 2006, 2007 and 2009, and Army Regular Reservists and Royal Air Force Individuals Liable to Recall at 1 April 2008 and 2009 are not presented in Table 2.15 (Strength of the Reserve Forces at 1 April each year). Tri-Service Regular Reserve data were not migrated across from legacy systems onto the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) system, and any data subsequent to its introduction have been sourced from the single Services where available. The absence of Naval Service Regular Reserve data in 2006 and 2007 was caused by the disestablishment of the secretariat responsible for the compilation of Naval Service Reserve data. In 2008, data were compiled by a reorganised secretariat, however concerns over the quality of the source data has prohibited publication of the 2009 Naval Service Regular Reserve data while further validation is carried out.

Volunteer Reserve

Volunteer Reserve data appear on the JPA system, however there are known issues with the quality of the data. Naval Service Volunteer Reserve data at 1 April 2008 and 1 April 2009 were therefore sourced from the Naval Service. Army and Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve data for 2008 and 2009 were sourced from JPA, however validation is ongoing and as such the figures presented here are provisional.
Thousands  
  1990     1997   2004 2005 2006 20072   20083   2009  
Total Reserve
 341.4   || 322.1   244.4 233.6 .. ..   ..   ..  
                             
Regular reserve
 250.8     259.4   201.0 191.3 .. ..   ..   ..  
                             
  Naval Service 27.2     24.1   22.8 22.2 .. ..   19.6   ..  
     Royal Fleet Reserve4 13.6     10.0   10.7 10.5 .. ..   8.0   ..  
    of which mobilised -     -   - - .. ..   -   - p
    Individuals liable to recall 13.6     14.1   12.0 11.7 .. ..   11.6   ..  
  Army5 183.5     190.1   141.8 134.2 127.6 121.8   ..   ..  
    Army Reserve 65.8     41.2   31.1 31.4 32.1 33.8   ..   ..  
    of which mobilised ..     ..   0.1 0.2 0.3 0.1   - p - p
    Individuals liable to recall 117.7     148.9   110.7 102.8 95.5 88.1   ..   ..  
  Royal Air Force 40.1     45.3   36.4 35.0 34.4 33.4 p ..   ..  
    Royal Air Force Reserve 10.1     16.2   9.3 8.2 7.8 7.3 p 6.1 p 5.6 p
    of which mobilised ..     ..   - - - - p 0.1 p - p
    Individuals liable to recall 30.1     29.0   27.1 26.7 26.6 26.0 p ..   ..  
                             
Volunteer reserve
 90.6   || 62.6   43.4 42.3 .. 41.0 p 39.2 p 39.7 p
                             
    Naval Service5 7.0     3.6   3.8 3.6 .. 3.0   2.9   3.0  
    of which mobilised -     -   0.1 - .. 0.1   0.2   0.2  
    Army6,7,8 81.9   || 57.7   38.1 37.3 38.5 36.8   35.0 p 35.3 p
    of which mobilised -     0.1   2.9 1.5 1.1 1.0   1.4 p 1.4 p
    Royal Air Force9 1.7     1.4   1.4 1.4 1.4 1.3 p 1.3 p 1.4 p
    of which mobilised -     -   - - 0.1 0.2 p 0.1 p 0.2 p
Sources: DASA (Quad-Service), single Services
1.   Figures exclude Full Time Reserve Service personnel.
2.   Army Volunteer Reserve data at 1 April 2007 are not available. Data are as at 1 March 2007.
3.   Army Volunteer Reserve data at 1 April 2008 are not available. Data are as at 1 June 2008.
4.   Comprises Royal Fleet Reserve - Naval and Royal Fleet Reserve - Marine.
5.   Army Regular reserve data for 2008 and 2009 have not been compiled and so are not available.
6.   Includes the Ulster Defence Regiment prior to 1 July 1992, when it merged with the Royal Irish Rangers and became the Home Service element of the Royal       Irish Regiment.
7.   Between 1983 and 1993 includes the Home Service Force.
8.   Includes Officer Training Corps and Non-Regular Permanent Staff.
9.   Excludes University Air Squadron personnel.