The military could be opened up to servicemen and women who have minor ailments such as leg injuries, weight problems and asthma, the outgoing head of the Armed Forces signalled yesterday.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach said that as long as they had vital skills such as in cyber-warfare then they should not need to pass the traditional gruelling tests to be in the forces.

Speaking about these keyboard warriors at the Policy Exchange think-tank, he said: ‘We need to be prepared to do some things that some in the room might find uncomfortable.

The military could be opened up to servicemen and women who have minor ailments such as leg injuries, weight problems and asthma, the outgoing head of the Armed Forces signalled yesterday

He continued: ‘I am quite relaxed with having a cyber-force with cyber-warriors who don’t deploy overseas. I am quite relaxed about that because their work is here.

'I am quite relaxed about medical conditions being relaxed because they are not deploying overseas and we need to think about this in a different way.’

It is understood he was referring to potential recruits with minor ailments such as joint problems, lack of fitness and other issues such as asthma that could prevent them serving on the frontline.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach said that as long as they had vital skills such as in cyber-warfare then they should not need to pass the traditional gruelling tests to be in the forces.

The military is facing a recruitment crisis as soldiers take up more well-paid jobs in the private sector.

In April a National Audit Office report found the number of full-time military personnel was 5.7 per cent, or 8,200 people, short of the required level.