Vice admiral

Vice Admiral is a naval rank equivalent to Lieutenant General in seniority. 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.

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 of 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.

Gallery

• Australian Vice Admiral shoulder board
  Australian Vice Admiral shoulder board
• Canadian Dress uniform jacket 1968-2010
  Canadian Dress uniform jacket 1968-2010
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  Canadian dress uniform jacket sleeve from 11 June 2010
• Canadian Shoulder board for short sleeve shirt or tropical white tunic
  Canadian Shoulder board for short sleeve shirt or tropical white tunic
• Canadian Temperate-region CADPAT uniform
  Canadian Temperate-region CADPAT uniform
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  Pennant of a French vice-amiral.
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  French Shoulder insignia
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  Vizeadmiral of the Bundesmarine
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  Polish Navy wiceadmirał shoulder insignia
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  Romanian tunic shoulder board of a Viceamiral
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  Vicealmirante of the Spanish Navy
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  Swedish Navy Vice-Admiral sleeve insignia
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  UK Royal Navy Vice-Admiral sleeve insignia
• UK Royal Navy Vice-Admiral shoulder board[1]
  UK Royal Navy Vice-Admiral shoulder board
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  The stars and shoulder boards of a US Navy vice admiral
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  The stars and shoulder boards of a US Coast Guard vice admiral

Australia

Main article: Vice Admiral (Australia)

In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice Admiral is held by the Chief of Navy (currently VADM 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 VADM Matt Tripovich).

Vice Admiral is the equivalent of Air Marshal in the Royal Australian Air Force and Lieutenant General in the Australian Army.

Canada

In the Canadian Navy, the rank of Vice-Admiral (VAdm) (Vice-amiral or Vam in French) 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:

• Vice-Chief of Defence Staff (VCDS);
• Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (DCDS);
• Commander of an operational command (such as Canada Command);
• 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.

Positions held by Vice-Admirals include:

• Prince Charles, Prince of Wales KG KT OM GCB AK QSO SOM CD** PC AdC(P)
• Chief of the Maritime Staff (CMS): Vice-Admiral Drew W. Robertson CMM MSM CD
• Vice Chief of Defence Staff: Vice-Admiral Denis Rouleau CMM MSM CD
• Commander of Canada Command: Vice-Admiral Dean McFadden CMM CD

See also: Canadian Forces ranks and insignia

France

In France, vice-amiral is the most senior of the permanent ranks in the French Navy. Ranks, such as vice-amiral d'escadre and amiral, are functions and position (in French rang et appellation) given to a vice-amiral-ranking officer. The vice-amiral rank formerly was an OF-8 rank in NATO charts, but nowadays, it is more similar to an OF-7 rank.

The lone temporary higher rank of vice-amiral d'escadre (literally, "Squadron Vice-Admiral", with more precision, "Fleet Vice-Admiral") equals a NATO OF-8 rank.

Italy

In Italy, the equivalent to Vice Admiral is the Ammiraglio di Squadra.

The Philippines

In the Philippines, the rank of 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 meaning as in the U.S Navy.

United Kingdom

Main article: Vice Admiral (Royal Navy)

In the Royal 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.

History

Main article: Admiral (United Kingdom)

United States

Main article: Vice admiral (United States)

Vietnam

In Vietnam, the equivalent to Vice Admiral is the Phó Đô Đốc.

See also

• Comparative Military Ranks