Vice Admiral
Encyclopedia
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer
, which is equivalent to lieutenant general
in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral
and junior to an admiral
. In many navies, vice admiral is a three-star rank with a NATO Code of OF-8, although in some navies like the French Navy
it is an OF-7 rank, the OF-8 code corresponding to the four-star rank of squadron vice-admiral
.
Azerbaijan,
Bangladesh,
China,
Cuba,
Iran,
Mexico,
North Korea, and Russia, vice admiral insignia involves two stars, and in the navy of Turkey, vice admiral insignia involves four stars.
, the rank of vice admiral
is held by the Chief of Navy
(currently Vice Admiral Russell Crane
) and, when the positions are held by navy officers, by the Vice Chief of the Defence Force
, the Chief of Joint Operations, and/or the Chief of the Capability Development Executive (currently Vice Admiral Matt Tripovich
).
Vice admiral is the equivalent of air marshal
in the Royal Australian Air Force
and lieutenant general
in the Australian Army
.
) is equivalent to lieutenant-general
of the Canadian Army and Canadian Air Force. A vice-admiral is a flag officer
, the naval equivalent of a general officer. A vice-admiral is senior to a rear-admiral and major general
, and junior to an admiral
and general
.
The rank insignia of a Canadian vice-admiral are:
On the visor of the service cap are two rows of gold oak leaves.
On service dress jacket shoulder straps, on slip-ons and on gold shoulder boards, vice-admirals wear three gold maple leaves, beneath crossed sword and baton, all surmounted by a St. Edward's Crown.
a) From 1968 to June 2010, the service dress jacket also featured a wide strip of gold braid around the cuff.
b) Since June 2010, with the return of the executive curl on service uniforms (and not just on mess uniforms), the cuff insignia is one large gold braid below two standard size gold braids, the superior one includes the executive curl.
Vice-admirals are addressed by rank and name; thereafter by subordinates as "Sir" or "Ma'am". Vice-admirals are normally entitled to a staff car
; the car will normally bear a flag, dark blue with three gold maple leaves arranged one over two.
A vice-admiral generally holds only the most senior command or administrative appointments, barring only Chief of Defence Staff
, which is held by a full admiral
or general
. Appointments held by vice-admirals may include:
Charles, Prince of Wales
holds the honorary rank of vice admiral in the Canadian Forces.
, vice-amiral is the most senior of the ranks in the French Navy
; higher ranks, vice-amiral d'escadre and amiral, are permanent functions, style and position (in French rang et appellation) given to a vice-amiral-ranking officer. The vice-amiral rank used to be an OF-8 rank in NATO charts, but nowadays, it is more an OF-7 rank.
The rank of vice-amiral d'escadre (literally, "squadron vice-admiral
", with more precision, "fleet vice-admiral") equals a NATO OF-8 rank.
In the ancien régime Navy, between 1669 and 1791. The office of "Vice-Admiral of France" (Vice-amiral de France) was the highest rank, the supreme office of "Admiral of France" being purely ceremonial.
Distincts offices were :
, the rank vice admiral is the highest ranking official of the Philippine Navy
. He is recognized as the flag officer in-charge of the Navy. The rank vice-admiral in the Philippines, has the same ranking in the U.S Navy.
the rank of vice-admiral should be distinguished from the office of "Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom
", which is an Admiralty
position usually held by a retired "full" admiral
, and that of "Vice-Admiral of the Coast
", a now obsolete office dealing with naval administration in each of the maritime counties.
Flag Officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark where the officer exercises command. The term usually refers to the senior officers in an English-speaking nation's navy, specifically those who hold any of the admiral ranks; in...
, which is equivalent to lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
and junior to an admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
. In many navies, vice admiral is a three-star rank with a NATO Code of OF-8, although in some navies like the French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
it is an OF-7 rank, the OF-8 code corresponding to the four-star rank of squadron vice-admiral
Squadron Vice-Admiral
Squadron vice-admiral is an Anglicisation of a naval rank found in some navies of the world. The squadron vice-admiral, which could also be accurately translated as fleet vice-admiral, leads a squadron and is typically senior to a vice-admiral and junior to an admiral.This anglicisation is not...
.
Rank Insignia
The rank insignia for a vice admiral usually involves three stars, but this is not always the case. In the navy of Iraq, vice admiral insignia involves one star. In the navies ofAzerbaijan,
Bangladesh,
China,
Cuba,
Iran,
Mexico,
North Korea, and Russia, vice admiral insignia involves two stars, and in the navy of Turkey, vice admiral insignia involves four stars.
Australia
In the Royal Australian NavyRoyal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
, the rank of vice admiral
Vice Admiral (Australia)
Vice admiral is the second-highest active rank of the Royal Australian Navy and was created as a direct equivalent of the British rank of vice admiral. It is a three-star rank...
is held by the Chief of Navy
Chief of Navy (Australia)
The Chief of Navy is the most senior appointment in the Royal Australian Navy, responsible to the Chief of the Defence Force and the Secretary of Defence...
(currently Vice Admiral Russell Crane
Russell Crane
Vice Admiral Russell Harry "Russ" Crane AO, CSM, RAN is a retired senior officer of the Royal Australian Navy, who served as the Chief of Navy from July 2008 until his retirement in June 2011.-Background:...
) and, when the positions are held by navy officers, by the Vice Chief of the Defence Force
Vice Chief of the Defence Force (Australia)
The Vice Chief of the Defence Force is the military deputy to the Chief of the Defence Force of Australia, and acts as the CDF in his absence under standing acting arrangements....
, the Chief of Joint Operations, and/or the Chief of the Capability Development Executive (currently Vice Admiral Matt Tripovich
Matt Tripovich
Vice Admiral Matthew John Tripovich AO, CSC, RAN is a retired senior officer of the Royal Australian Navy. He served as Chief of the Australian Department of Defence's Capability Development Group from 2007 until his retirement in October 2010....
).
Vice admiral is the equivalent of air marshal
Air Marshal (Australia)
Air marshal is the second highest active rank of the Royal Australian Air Force and was created as a direct equivalent of the British Royal Air Force rank of air marshal, it is also considered a three-star rank...
in the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
and lieutenant general
Lieutenant General (Australia)
Lieutenant general is the second-highest active rank of the Australian Army and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of lieutenant general. It is also considered a three-star rank....
in the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
.
Canada
In the Canadian Navy, the rank of vice-admiral (VAdm) (vice-amiral or Vam in FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
) is equivalent to lieutenant-general
Lieutenant-General (Canada)
In the Canadian Forces, the rank of lieutenant-general is an Army or Air Force rank equal to a vice-admiral of the Navy. A lieutenant-general is a general officer, the equivalent of a Naval flag officer. A lieutenant-general is senior to a major general or rear-admiral, and junior to a general or...
of the Canadian Army and Canadian Air Force. A vice-admiral is a flag officer
Flag Officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark where the officer exercises command. The term usually refers to the senior officers in an English-speaking nation's navy, specifically those who hold any of the admiral ranks; in...
, the naval equivalent of a general officer. A vice-admiral is senior to a rear-admiral and major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
, and junior to an admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
and general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
.
The rank insignia of a Canadian vice-admiral are:
On the visor of the service cap are two rows of gold oak leaves.
On service dress jacket shoulder straps, on slip-ons and on gold shoulder boards, vice-admirals wear three gold maple leaves, beneath crossed sword and baton, all surmounted by a St. Edward's Crown.
a) From 1968 to June 2010, the service dress jacket also featured a wide strip of gold braid around the cuff.
b) Since June 2010, with the return of the executive curl on service uniforms (and not just on mess uniforms), the cuff insignia is one large gold braid below two standard size gold braids, the superior one includes the executive curl.
Vice-admirals are addressed by rank and name; thereafter by subordinates as "Sir" or "Ma'am". Vice-admirals are normally entitled to a staff car
Staff car
A staff car is a vehicle used by a senior military officer, and is part of their country's white fleet. The term is most often used in relation to the United Kingdom where they were first used in quantity during World War I, examples being the Vauxhall D-type and Crossley 20/25.Staff cars are...
; the car will normally bear a flag, dark blue with three gold maple leaves arranged one over two.
A vice-admiral generally holds only the most senior command or administrative appointments, barring only Chief of Defence Staff
Chief of the Defence Staff (Canada)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the second most senior member of the Canadian Forces, and heads the Armed Forces Council, having primary responsibility for command, control, and administration of the forces, as well as military strategy, plans, and requirements...
, which is held by a full admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
or general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
. Appointments held by vice-admirals may include:
- Vice-Chief of Defence StaffVice-Chief of the Defence StaffThe Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff is the deputy to the Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of the British Armed Forces.-List of Vice Chiefs of the Defence Staff:*1964 to 1966 - Air Chief Marshal Sir Alfred Earle...
(VCDS); - Deputy Chief of Defence StaffChief of the Defence Staff (Canada)The Chief of the Defence Staff is the second most senior member of the Canadian Forces, and heads the Armed Forces Council, having primary responsibility for command, control, and administration of the forces, as well as military strategy, plans, and requirements...
(DCDS); - Commander of an operational command (such as Canada CommandCanada CommandCanada Command is one of the seven commands of the Canadian Forces. Stood up on February 1, 2006, it is responsible for all domestic operations and national security missions; as an operational command, it works closely with the environment commands Canada Command (CANADACOM) (in French :...
); - Chief of the Maritime Staff (CMS);
- Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) of Defence in various capacities;
- commander of, or representative to, a multinational force, alliance, or treaty organization.
Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
holds the honorary rank of vice admiral in the Canadian Forces.
France
In FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, vice-amiral is the most senior of the ranks in the French Navy
Ranks in the French Navy
The rank insignia of the French Navy are worn on shoulder straps of shirts and white jackets, and on sleeves for navy jackets and mantels....
; higher ranks, vice-amiral d'escadre and amiral, are permanent functions, style and position (in French rang et appellation) given to a vice-amiral-ranking officer. The vice-amiral rank used to be an OF-8 rank in NATO charts, but nowadays, it is more an OF-7 rank.
The rank of vice-amiral d'escadre (literally, "squadron vice-admiral
Squadron Vice-Admiral
Squadron vice-admiral is an Anglicisation of a naval rank found in some navies of the world. The squadron vice-admiral, which could also be accurately translated as fleet vice-admiral, leads a squadron and is typically senior to a vice-admiral and junior to an admiral.This anglicisation is not...
", with more precision, "fleet vice-admiral") equals a NATO OF-8 rank.
In the ancien régime Navy, between 1669 and 1791. The office of "Vice-Admiral of France" (Vice-amiral de France) was the highest rank, the supreme office of "Admiral of France" being purely ceremonial.
Distincts offices were :
- 1669-1791 Vice-admiral of the West (Atlantic OceanAtlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
). - 1669-1791 Vice-admiral of the East (Mediterranean SeaMediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
). - 1778-1791 Vice-admiral of the Asian and American Seas (American shores).
- 1784-1788 Vice-admiral of the Indian Seas (Indian OceanIndian OceanThe Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
).
Philippines
In PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, the rank vice admiral is the highest ranking official of the Philippine Navy
Philippine Navy
The Philippine Navy is the naval arm of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . Its official name in Filipino is Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas, literally, "Sea Force of the Philippines"....
. He is recognized as the flag officer in-charge of the Navy. The rank vice-admiral in the Philippines, has the same ranking in the U.S Navy.
United Kingdom
In the Royal NavyRoyal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
the rank of vice-admiral should be distinguished from the office of "Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom
Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom
The Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom is an honorary office generally held by a senior Royal Navy admiral. Despite the title, the Vice-Admiral of the United Kingdom is usually a full admiral. He is the official deputy to the Lord High Admiral, an honorary office vested in the Sovereign from...
", which is an Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
position usually held by a retired "full" admiral
Admiral (United Kingdom)
Admiral is a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-9, outranked only by the rank Admiral of the Fleet...
, and that of "Vice-Admiral of the Coast
Vice-Admiral of the Coast
The holder of the post Vice-Admiral of the Coast was responsible for the defence of one of the twenty maritime counties of England, the North and South of Wales, or the four provinces of Ireland....
", a now obsolete office dealing with naval administration in each of the maritime counties.