Vice Admiral (Royal Navy)
Encyclopedia
Vice admiral is a flag officer
rank of the British
Royal Navy
. It equates to the NATO rank code OF-8 and is immediately superior to rear admiral
and is subordinate to the full admiral rank.
The Royal Navy has had vice admirals since at least the 16th century. When the fleet was deployed the vice admiral would be in the leading portion or van acting as the deputy to the admiral.
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.
The rank of vice admiral itself is shown in its sleeve lace by a broad band with two narrower bands. Since 2001 it has been designated a three-star rank when the number of stars on the shoulder board were increased to three.
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...
rank of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Royal Navy
Royal 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...
. It equates to the NATO rank code OF-8 and is immediately superior to rear admiral
Rear Admiral (Royal Navy)
Rear Admiral is a flag officer rank of the British Royal Navy. It is immediately superior to Commodore and is subordinate to Vice Admiral. It is a two-star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7....
and is subordinate to the full admiral rank.
The Royal Navy has had vice admirals since at least the 16th century. When the fleet was deployed the vice admiral would be in the leading portion or van acting as the deputy to the admiral.
In the Royal Navy
Royal 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.
Rank insignia and personal flag
Vice Admirals are entitled to fly a personal flag. A Vice Admiral flies a St George’s cross differenced with a red disc in the hoist.The rank of vice admiral itself is shown in its sleeve lace by a broad band with two narrower bands. Since 2001 it has been designated a three-star rank when the number of stars on the shoulder board were increased to three.