The government decided to retire the HMS Ark Royal and its fleet of Harrier jump jets in 2011, five years early.

BBC: Aircraft carrier section begins journey from Govan to Fife

The Queen will take a royal salute at Portsmouth as she bids farewell to the Royal Navy's aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal.

BBC: Queen bids farewell to carrier Ark Royal

And it saw the cancellation of equipment including Nimrod MRA4 reconnaissance planes and the early withdrawal of HMS Ark Royal and Harrier jump-jets.

BBC: MPs warn cuts will limit UK armed forces capability

However, Captain Mike Alcock, currently on HMS Ark Royal, said that as a parent he understood the difficulties of tearing yourself from your family.

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The strategic defence review included plans to scrap Harrier jump jets, the Navy's flagship HMS Ark Royal and Nimrod spy planes, as well as 42, 000 Ministry of Defence and armed forces jobs.

BBC: An aircraft lands at RAF Northolt

The review, announced by David Cameron in October, included measures to cut military personnel by 17, 000, scrap Nimrod spy planes and retire the HMS Ark Royal aircraft carrier leaving Britain without a carrier strike capability until the end of the decade.

BBC: Defence review a 'cost-cutting exercise'

Ark Royal was recently sold for scrap by the Ministry of Defence, following its sister ship HMS Invincible.

BBC: Aircraft carrier section begins journey from Govan to Fife