CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA: An Australian navy submarine skipper who agreed that making female sailors wear bikinis could help reverse a recruitment crisis is facing calls for his sacking.

Commander Tom Phillips, appointed to the HMAS Farncomb last year, had been posed a question by men's magazine Ralph: 'If female sailors all had to be hot and had to wear bikinis, would that help recruitment?'

He replied: 'It would certainly get the right demographic of young men in. I'm not sure how feasible it is.'

Government and opposition figures slammed his comments but navy commanders said they were not meant to be serious.

The navy's recruitment crisis is so severe it had to stand down for two months over Christmas due to lack of sailors. Last year, it had enough sailors to man only half its six-boat fleet of Collins-class submarines. - REUTERS