You are here
- Home
- Publications
- RUSI Journal
- Volume: 161
- No: 6
- Is it Counterproductive to Enlist Minors into the Army?

Is it Counterproductive to Enlist Minors into the Army?
David Gee and Rachel TaylorRUSI Journal, 21 December 2016
Armed Forces, UK, Defence Policy, Land Forces, Law and Ethics, Military Personnel, UK Defence, Europe
As most states now restrict military enlistment to adults from the age of eighteen, the UK’s policy of recruiting from the age of sixteen is unusual. In this article, David Gee and Rachel Taylor discuss whether the policy effectively meets the needs of young people and the army itself, and examine the feasibility of a transition to an all-adult force.
Continue Reading
Become A Member
To access the full text of this article and many other benefits, become a RUSI member.
Support Rusi Research
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Related

Dependent Deterrent? US Support for the UK’s New Nuclear Warhead
Commentary, 3 March 2021Matthew Harries
New revelations about the links between the UK and US nuclear programmes raise as many questions as they provide answers.
Tags: Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, United States, Equipment and Acquisitions, UK, UK Defence
FCAS: Is the Franco-German-Spanish Combat Air Programme Really in Trouble?
Commentary, 1 March 2021Justin Bronk
A new European combat aircraft is still likely to emerge from a programme plagued by mismatched national positions, priorities and industrial responsibilities.
Tags: Aerospace, Military Sciences, Germany, France, Europe
The Coronavirus Pandemic: Global Challenges Require Global Cooperation
RUSI Newsbrief, 26 February 2021Andrey Krivorotov, Jennifer Cole and Klaus Dodds
The UK–Russia Security Dialogue addresses the ‘new normal’ of international health policy.
Tags: International Security Studies, UK-Russia Security Dialogue, RUSI Newsbrief, Russia, UKPages

Dependent Deterrent? US Support for the UK’s New Nuclear Warhead
Commentary, 3 March 2021Matthew Harries
New revelations about the links between the UK and US nuclear programmes raise as many questions as they provide answers.
Tags: Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, United States, Equipment and Acquisitions, UK, UK Defence
FCAS: Is the Franco-German-Spanish Combat Air Programme Really in Trouble?
Commentary, 1 March 2021Justin Bronk
A new European combat aircraft is still likely to emerge from a programme plagued by mismatched national positions, priorities and industrial responsibilities.
Tags: Aerospace, Military Sciences, Germany, France, Europe
The Politics of UK Accession to Pacific Free Trade Club
Commentary, 25 February 2021Elly Darkin
While political and strategic considerations may push the UK to prioritise speed over substance when it comes to accession negotiations, this strategy may well pay off if joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership is seen as a starting point for greater commercial diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific.
Tags: Navigating the Indo-Pacific, UK, PacificPages

The Coronavirus Pandemic: Global Challenges Require Global Cooperation
RUSI Newsbrief, 26 February 2021Andrey Krivorotov, Jennifer Cole and Klaus Dodds
The UK–Russia Security Dialogue addresses the ‘new normal’ of international health policy.
Tags: International Security Studies, UK-Russia Security Dialogue, RUSI Newsbrief, Russia, UK
Between a Pandemic and a Hard Brexit: Grand Strategic Thinking in an Age of Nationalism, Renewed Geopolitical Competition and Human Insecurity
RUSI Journal, 24 February 2021William D James
The UK's turbulent domestic situation has implications for how the country faces external threats.
Tags: RUSI Journal, UK, Defence Policy, UK Defence
What to Do in Afghanistan?
RUSI Newsbrief, 19 February 2021Greg Mills
Donors are caught in a bind in Afghanistan. But it is a bind that ties.
Tags: United States, Afghanistan, NATO, RUSI Newsbrief, UKPages

The Challenge of Change: Acquiring Technologies for Defence in the UK
Multimedia, 7 April 2020Peggy Hollinger, International Business Editor at the Financial Times discusses a new RUSI paper authored by Trevor Taylor and John Louth. The paper suggests that the UK needs a speedier defence...
Armed Forces, Defence, Industries and Society, Defence Spending, Equipment and Acquisitions, UK, Defence Policy, UK Defence, Europe
In Context podcast - Episode 13 - Sir John Scarlett
Multimedia, 29 August 2019In this episode Karin talks to Sir John Scarlett about his career in the British Secret Intelligence Service, including his time as Chief. They discuss the collapse of the Soviet Union, 9/11 and even...
The decade after 9/11, The War on Terror, UK, Defence Policy, Intelligence, International Institutions, Terrorism, Europe
Someone Had To Do It - Reflections from D-Day
Multimedia, 31 May 2019Germany, France, UK, History, Military Personnel, Europe
Pages

RUSI welcomes publication of Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation Bias Review
News, 27 November 2020Today the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation publishes its review into bias in algorithmic decision-making, incorporating RUSI research on the use of algorithms in policing.
Organised Crime and Policing, Policing and Security, Tackling Extremism, UK, Terrorism, UK Defence, Europe
UK Government Integrated Review Announcement – RUSI Experts React
News, 26 February 2020The UK government has announced plans to overhaul its approach to foreign policy through a new government-wide review. Here, RUSI experts give their initial reaction to the news.
UK Integrated Review 2021, UK, UK Defence
Defence Committee Cites RUSI Recommendation on Armed Forces Covenant
News, 3 May 2017A House of Commons Defence Committee report published on 1 May has echoed a major RUSI study published last year which called for the creation of an Armed Forces Covenant programme office situated in...
Defence, Industries and Society, UK, Military PersonnelPages

Mapping a Pandemic: Britain and China: Unusual Business - The Future Bilateral Relationship
Events, 7 May 2020An online briefing from experts of the Royal United Services Institute on the impact of Covid-19 on the UK/China relationship.
Tags: China, International Security Studies, Coronavirus, UK
Mapping a Pandemic: Lasting Consequences For The UK's Defence And Security Posture
Events, 23 April 2020An online briefing from experts of the Royal United Services Institute on the impact of Covid-19 on the UK.
Tags: UK Integrated Review 2021, Coronavirus, UK
RUSI Annual Security Lecture
Events, 24 February 2020Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick delivered the inaugural RUSI Annual Security Lecture.
Tags: Cyber, Organised Crime and Policing, UK, Technology, Europe
Dependent Deterrent? US Support for the UK’s New Nuclear Warhead
New Zealand's Indo-Pacific Recalibration
The Budding Alliance Between Lockdown Critics and the Far-Right in Germany