Chapter 2 - Personnel
                             
Table 2.15 Strength of the Reserve Forces1, at 1 April each year
The Volunteer Reserves strength overall and in the Naval Service and Army decreased between 1997 and 2010. However, the Volunteer Reserves strength in the RAF has remained relatively constant and in the past year has increased. Army and Royal Air Force cadet strengths increased in the past year, whereas the Naval Service cadet strength decreased.

Data Quality Notes
Regular Reserve
Data on Naval Service Regular Reservists at 1 April 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010, and Army Regular Reservists and Royal Air Force Individuals Liable to Recall at 1 April 2008 onwards 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 and 2010 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 onwards were therefore sourced from the Naval Service. Army and Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve data for 2008 onwards were sourced from JPA, however validation is ongoing and as such the figures presented here are provisional.
Thousands
  1997   2000   2005 2006 2007 2 2008 3 2009   2010  
Total Reserve 322.1   293.1   233.6 .. ..   ..   ..   ..  
                             
Regular reserve 259.4   241.6   191.3 .. ..   ..   ..   ..  
24.1   24.2   22.2 .. ..   19.6   ..   ..  
        Royal Fleet Reserve4 10.0   10.1   10.5 .. ..   8.0   ..   ..  
        of which mobilised -   -   - .. ..   - p - p - p
        Individuals liable to recall 14.1   14.0   11.7 .. ..   11.6   ..   ..  
    Army5 190.1   175.5   134.2 127.6 121.8   ..   ..   ..  
        Army Reserve 41.2   34.5   31.4 32.1 33.8   ..   ..   ..  
        of which mobilised ..   0.3   0.2 0.3 0.1   - p - p - p
        Individuals liable to recall 148.9   141.0   102.8 95.5 88.1   ..   ..   ..  
    Royal Air Force 45.3   41.9   35.0 34.4 33.4 p ..   ..   ..  
        Royal Air Force Reserve 16.2   14.3   8.2 7.8 7.3 p 6.1 p 5.6 p 5.4 p
        of which mobilised ..   -   - - - p 0.1 p - p - p
        Individuals liable to recall 29.0   27.6   26.7 26.6 26.0 p ..   ..   ..  
                             
Volunteer reserve6 62.6   51.5   42.3 .. 41.0 p 39.2 p 39.7 p 37.6 p
3.6   4.1   3.6 .. 3.0   2.9   3.0   2.9  
        of which mobilised -   -   - .. 0.1 p 0.2 p 0.2 p 0.2 p
    Army7 57.7   45.6   37.3 38.5 36.8   35.0 p 35.3 p 33.1 p
        of which mobilised 0.1   0.8   1.5 1.1 1.0   1.4 p 1.4 p 1.4 p
    Royal Air Force8 1.4   1.8   1.4 1.4 1.3 p 1.3 p 1.4 p 1.5 p
        of which mobilised ..   -   - 0.1 0.2 p 0.1 p 0.2 p 0.1 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 onwards have not been compiled and so are not available.
6. Excludes University Royal Naval Unit personnel
7. Includes Officer Training Corps and Non-Regular Permanent Staff
8. Excludes University Air Squadron personnel
                             
Table 2.16 Strength of the cadet forces, at 1 April each year
Thousands
  1997   2000   2005 2006 2007   2008   2009   2010  
Total cadet forces1 127.5   132.0   130.3 .. 127.4   127.6   130.0   133.0  
                             
20.7   19.7   17.5 .. 14.9   15.2   15.1   14.0  
Army 65.1   68.5   71.6 71.9 72.2   73.0   75.1   75.8  
Royal Air Force 41.8   43.7   41.1 39.5 40.3   39.4   39.8   43.3  
Sources: DCDS Pers (RF&C), single Services
1. Figures for each service include both single service cadet forces and an element of the Combined Cadet Force.