As Russian threats grow, the UK plans to increase its ranks of armed forces by offering young people paid military “gap years.”
According to reports, teens leaving school in the United Kingdom (UK), will have the opportunity to make some money, while gathering military experience. This opportunity comes under a new “whole of society” approach to national defense, aiming to increase recruitment among young people.
The London-based i Paper reported Friday that the Ministry of Defense hopes the new scheme will increase the appeal of military careers for British youth, while tensions with Russia increase across Europe.
Initially, the “gap year” scheme will be available in early 2026 to around 150 applicants aged between 18 and 25. Meanwhile, ministers aim to eventually expand the program to attract over 1,000 young people annually, depending on demand.
Tensions can currently be seen around the world, with US president Donald Trump threatening wars and attacking Venezuela. However, fears of threats from Russia and growing amid that country’s war on Ukraine. Due to this European countries are looking to national service for young people as a means to boost their military ranks, with Belgium, France and Germany already announcing new schemes this year.
December 2025.
Military gap years for teens and school lessons on defence to prepare UK for war
Britain must increase its readiness for conflict with Russia or another enemy by spreading awareness of defence throughout society, the Strategic Defence Review says. pic.twitter.com/xQw2TWpPQJ
— Sense and Sensibility (@UNIT_Diplomat) December 27, 2025
Speaking of the UK “gap years” scheme, recruits will not be deployed on active military operations. Moreover, while pay has yet to be confirmed, the UK’s LBC news service reports that pay for applicants can be expected to match basic recruit salaries of around 26,000 UKP, or $35,000 annually.
When joining the program, army recruits will complete 13 weeks of basic training as part of a two-year placement. Meanwhile, the navy scheme would last one year, and the Royal Air Force (RAF) is still considering options.
Speaking to i Paper, UK Defense Secretary John Healey, said, “This is a new era for defense, and that means opening up new opportunities for young people.”
News of the new scheme comes in the wake of remarks from the UK’s Chief of the Defense Staff, Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton, who said the UK’s “sons and daughters” should get “ready to fight” to defend their country amid ongoing Russian aggression.
According to Knighton, while a direct attack on the United Kingdom is unlikely, hybrid threats are intensifying. He spoke of a recent incident in UK waters involving a Russian spy ship, suspected of mapping undersea cables.
“Every day the UK is subject to an onslaught of cyber-attacks from Russia and we know that Russian agents are seeking to conduct sabotage and have killed on our shores”, Knighton added, warning that Russia’s military has become a “hard power [which] is growing quickly.”
The new program will be open to under-25s, with the first group of recruits consisting of 150 individuals. It is hoped future cohorts will reach levels of more than 1,000 per year, but it remains unclear how much the “gap year” trainees would be paid under the scheme.
According to former defense minister Tobias Ellwood, details of how the program will be funded remains unclear, as well as whether it would train officers, or just rank-and-file soldiers. Ellwood did say that the program ultimately “ends up paying for itself” through the UK’s added resilience to large-scale attacks.
Earlier this year, the UK government announced that defense and security spending would rise to 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035.
