Defence review: HMS Ark Royal to be scrapped

[dutchman]

The Royal Navy's flagship, the aircraft carrier Ark Royal, is to be scrapped early as part of the government's defence review, the BBC has learned.



The move is part of the price paid by the Royal Navy for the decision to go ahead with two new aircraft carriers.

Launched in 1985, the Ark Royal will be decommissioned almost immediately, four years earlier than planned.

On Tuesday David Cameron will unveil details of the first strategic defence and security review in 12 years.

It is expected to see big spending cuts for the armed forces.

Chancellor George Osborne signalled on Sunday that the construction of two new aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, would go ahead, when he told the BBC it would cost more to cancel the projects than proceed with them.

The BBC has also learned that at least one of the new carriers will be redesigned so that it can deploy normal fighter aircraft that do not need a Harrier-style vertical lift capability.

The new design would allow American and French joint strike fighters to land on the new carrier.