HMS Ark Royal (left) and USS Nimitz (right)
The British government is cutting the military budget by a whopping 8%. That means its only aircraft carrier, the Ark Royal, will be mothballed. The diesel powered ship transports helicopters and Harrier jets.
The ship caught my attention because while watching stock footage of it on the news, I noticed the huge smokestack billowing diesel exhaust. And, I wondered how such a short carrier was able to launch planes. But then again, the Harriers could just take off vertically.
Harriers taking off:
More details about the cuts here.