▁to ▁her ▁de comm ission ing ▁in ▁early ▁ 1 9 7 9 . ▁ ▁Initial ly ▁on ▁entry ▁into ▁service , ▁the ▁ship ▁had ▁a ▁complement ▁of ▁up ▁to ▁ 5 0 ▁aircraft ▁compr ising ▁Sea ▁Haw ks , ▁Sea ▁Ven oms , ▁G ann ets , ▁Sky ra iders ▁and ▁various ▁hel ic op ters . ▁As ▁later ▁aircraft ▁types ▁grew ▁in ▁size ▁and ▁complexity , ▁her ▁air ▁group ▁fell ▁to ▁below ▁ 4 0 ▁when ▁she ▁left ▁service ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 . ▁ ▁Oper ational ▁history ▁ ▁Ark ▁Royal ▁participated ▁in ▁many ▁exer cis es ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁fleet ▁and ▁NAT O ▁( N orth ▁Atlantic ▁Tre aty ▁Organ ization ) ▁squad rons , ▁but ▁saw ▁no ▁combat ▁duty . ▁ ▁She ▁was ▁not ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁S uez ▁Cris is ▁in ▁Egypt ▁of ▁ 1 9 5 6 , ▁about ▁a ▁year ▁after ▁her ▁commission ing , ▁because ▁she ▁was ▁on ▁her ▁way ▁there ▁when ▁she ▁ran ▁a ▁main ▁prop ell or ▁sh aft ▁bearing ▁and ▁had ▁to ▁return ▁to ▁Dev on port ▁for ▁a ▁major ▁ref it . ▁ ▁E agle ▁replaced ▁her ▁at ▁S uez . ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 3 , ▁she ▁carried ▁out ▁tri als ▁for ▁a ▁new ▁type ▁of ▁Vert ical / Short ▁Take ▁Off ▁and ▁Land ing ▁( V / ST OL ) ▁aircraft , ▁the ▁Haw ker ▁P . 1 1 2 7 , ▁which ▁later ▁developed ▁into ▁the ▁Haw ker ▁Sid de ley ▁Har rier