Reserve Defence Force numbers significantly below strength

Neil Richardson, general secretary of the Reserve Defence Forces Representative Association (RDFRA) said the official figure of 1,513 effective personnel in the combined army and naval reserves is "artificially high". File Picture: Richard Mills

The country's Reserve Defence Forces (RDF) are significantly below strength, potentially putting the country's security at risk.

And, while official figures show numbers are much lower than what is needed, the representative group for the RDF says the reality is actually even worse.