The United Kingdom Wants to Create a Home Guard. Could It Be an Idea for Us Too?

Faced with an increasingly unstable global landscape, the United Kingdom is preparing to renew its defensive posture starting from the home front. The British government, through the new Strategic Defence Review, is planning the creation of a civilian volunteer force modeled on the famous Dad’s Army, the territorial militia born in 1940 to defend the country from a potential Nazi invasion.

The new Home Guard would consist of thousands of citizens trained to monitor and protect vital infrastructure such as airports, power plants, and coastal hubs for submarine cables, sensitive points today exposed to the risk of sabotage and terrorist attacks. The proposal, strongly supported by Defense Secretary John Healey and prominent figures like former NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson, fits into a strategic vision internally dubbed Hedgehog Britain – a Britain ready to defend itself in depth, on every front.

A “Civil Draft” for the Era of Hybrid Threats

The British decision also arises from the growing awareness that national defense can no longer rely solely on regular armed forces. With an army reduced to below 70,000 personnel and increasingly decentralized and asymmetric threats, London intends to strengthen internal resilience through a new civic draft.

The Home Guard, which will not be part of the existing military reserve, will be recruited and trained on a voluntary basis and will be tasked with intervening in emergency situations and preventing attacks on strategic targets. The operations will not involve combat scenarios but will have a deterrent, surveillance, and rapid intervention function in case of sabotage, attacks, or natural disasters.

The Parallel with Italy: The Auxiliary Reserve Proposed by Crosetto

The British strategy finds an interesting parallel in the intentions declared in 2024 by the Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, who has repeatedly emphasized the urgency of building a national reserve inspired by the Israeli and Swiss models.

Crosetto has indeed proposed an auxiliary force of up to 10,000 units, composed of former military personnel, retired staff, and specialized civilians, to be activated in case of severe crises, conflicts, or natural disasters. “We do not have a problem of numbers,” the minister stated, “but we must create a national reserve that can be easily activated in times of emergency.”

Although the Italian draft law is still in its embryonic stage, the goal is similar: to strengthen internal security through the use of trained and voluntary personnel, which would not replace the Armed Forces in operational theaters but would complement their capacity on national territory.

Home Guard and Auxiliary Reserve for the Same Need

While the British proposal evokes the popular imagery of Dad’s Army, the Italian one focuses on a more structured reserve inspired by established models in other European countries. In both cases, the intent is clear: to involve the population in the defense of the country, strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure, and respond more agilely to hybrid and internal threats.

While London announces investments in armed drones, laser systems, and technological regiments, the new Home Guard represents the missing link between high technology and territorial security. Similarly, the Italian auxiliary reserve could represent a valid tool to address civilian vulnerabilities in an era where war is no longer just a matter of fronts and uniforms.