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.
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.