Washington, Jul 1 (IANS): The Pentagon has announced that it will delay a policy to recruit transgenders in the US armed forces until 2018, the media reported.

Friday night's move by Defence Secretary Jim Mattis comes just hours before a July 1 deadline, set during former President Barack Obama's administration, for the military to recruit transgender enlisted troops and to accept new officers, reports the USA Today.

"Secretary Mattis today (Friday) approved a recommendation by the services to defer accessing transgender applicants into the military until January 1, 2018," Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White said in a statement.

"The services will review their accession plans and provide input on the impact to the readiness and lethality of our forces."

Transgender troops already in the ranks can continue to serve, under the policy developed last year by former Defence Secretary Ash Carter.

But the lack of a policy to accept new transgender troops has already caused problems, the USA Today reported.

In May, the Air Force and Army were unable to commission transgender cadets from their academies because the military lacks an acceptance policy for new transgender troops.