whoateallthepies - to say "Ex-military pilots are exempt from most of the JAR ATPL exams despite having no civilian experience" is factually incorrect.
Experienced military pilots, i.e. in the fixed wing world those with 2000+ total military flight time may receive accreditiation under JAR/FCL for their knowledge and experience. A joint CAA/MoD working group has agreed that, for example, to be granted the maximum accreditation, a pilot with 2000+ military TT must also have passed an Operational Conversion Unit course on an 'approved' ME multi-pilot aeroplane (e.g. C17, Nimrod, VC10, TriStar etc) and have 1500 hours on that type as P1, of which 1000 must have been as P1C. Having achieved such hours, it is highly unlikely that insuffcient 'civilian' experience will be a hindrance. Such hours qualify the pilot to obtain a JAR/FCL ATPL by: 1. Passing a JAR Class 1 medical, 2. Passing JAR/FCL Air Law at ATPL level and 3. Passing a ME multi-crew IR on the type of aeroplane flown. Then fill out the form, pay the dosh and wait for the thud of little green book on doormat! If said pilot already holds a UK professional licence and has completed the JAR declaration of knowledge requirements, then accreditiation is also given for the Air Law exam......
Fast jet pilots with 2000+ have less accreditation rights and will need to do a bridging course and some ME time (including passing an IR on something like a Seneca), pass the JAR Class 1 medical and 5 of the JAR/FCL ATPL exams and will then receive a CPL with ATPL knowledge - they will subsequently need to do the MCC course and achieve 500 hours as co-pilot of a multi-crew aeroplane before upgrading to ATPL.
This is a national obligation under JARs and replaces some of the daftness of the past. I once had to give the RT theory paper to a military pilot who had just flown a Tornado from South Germany to Brize Norton via airways. He obtained 100%, perhaps unsurprisingly.
I do, however, think that it wouldn't be unreasonable for 'upgrade' exams or an'upgrade course' to be available for CPL/IR holders to achieve the theoretical knowledge requirements of the ATPL. To have to do the whole 14 ATPL exams does seem rather over the top to me.