Govt to scrap flagship carrier as defence cuts bite

The government is planning to axe its flagship aircraft carrier and fleet of Harrier jets in a defence review being announced Tuesday as part of stinging, across-the-board government cuts.

Prime Minister David Cameron will tell the House of Commons from 1430 GMT the HMS Ark Royal is to be decommissioned almost immediately, while a decision on a replacement for the Trident nuclear deterrent is also set to be delayed.

In total, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is facing cuts of around eight percent in the defence review.

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