each flight operated four aew aircraft with a gannet cod.4 for ship to shore communications. these flights were regularly deployed from the large aircraft carriers then in service with the royal navy. additionally, it was intended that the gannet would initially be deployed from the planned cva-01 aircraft carrier, until the entry into service of a purpose built aew aircraft. however, in the mid 1960s the british government brought in a series of defence cuts that led to the new carriers and their aew aircraft being cancelled, and the phased withdrawal of fixed wing aviation in the royal navy. 849c flight was disbanded in 1966 following the reduction of the carrier fleet to four ships with the withdrawal of for conversion to a commando carrier (which did not take place) and the decommissioning of "ark royal" for her major, three-year reconstruction to accommodate the mcdonnell douglas phantom. subsequent carrier withdrawals led to the disbanding of 'a' flight in 1970 (when "hermes" was withdrawn for conversion to a commando carrier) and 'd' flight in 1972 (when "eagle" was decommissioned). the final operational gannets were operated by 'b' flight aboard "ark royal" following that ship's major refit and recommissioning in 1970. the gannet continued in service until the final decommissioning of "ark royal" in 1978 – a gannet of 849b flight was the last aircraft to be recovered by the ship on saturday 18 november 1978. the withdrawal of "ark royal" meant that there was no longer a platform available in the royal navy to operate the gannet, and hence 849 naval air squadron was disbanded in december 1978, leaving the royal navy without embedded airborne early warning.