2 June 2025 – The Ministry of Defence issued The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) 2025 – Making Britain Safer: secure at home, strong abroad .
RFCA YH is committed to ongoing efforts that will meet the MOD’s targets including a 30 percent increase in tri-service cadets by 2030, 20 percent increase in reserve forces by 2034 and continued engagement with employers who support the UK Armed Forces.
This report marks the first time RFCAs are mentioned in an SDR and for RFCAs, the SDR formalises a shift in Defence posture that offers real opportunity to further contribute.
The SDR’s vision for UK Defence:
Whole-of-society approach—widening participation in national resilience, and renewing the Nation’s contract with those who serve.
Move to warfighting readiness—establishing a more lethal ‘integrated force’ equipped for the future, and strengthened homeland defence.
Engine for growth—driving jobs and prosperity through a new partnership with industry, radical procurement reforms and backing UK businesses.
‘NATO first’—stepping up on European security by leading in NATO, with strengthened nuclear, new tech and updated conventional capabilities.
UK innovation driven by lessons from Ukraine—harnessing drones, data and digital warfare to make our Armed Forces stronger and safer.
Read the full report