Armed Forces: Length of Service
2026-06-24 · Ministry of Defence · 13182 · Official question
Question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether there is a formal target for the length of service for personnel in the (a) British Army, (b) Royal Air Force, (c) Royal Navy and (d) Royal Marines.
Answer
There is no formal length of service target for personnel in the British Army, the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines or the Royal Air Force (RAF). The British Army has minimum service periods for officers (three years) and soldiers (four years).For Ratings, t...