Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)

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Royal Navy Insignia

Admiral of the Fleet is a rank of the British Royal Navy and is the most senior Admiral of the naval service, the equivalent to a Fleet Admiral in the United States Navy. There have been far more officers of this rank in the United Kingdom than in the United States, mainly due to the former practice of promoting First Sea Lords to this rank on their retirement.

The rank evolved from the ancient sailing days of British Navy Squadrons. Each British Squadron was designated a colour, that of Red, White, or Blue. Each coloured squadron was assigned an Admiral, who in turn had command over a Vice Admiral and a Rear Admiral. The Admiral of the Fleet, therefore, commanded the Admirals of the various squadrons and thus, the entirety of the Fleet.

It was inactivated as a substantive rank in peacetime during defence cuts of the 1990s. While surviving Admirals of the Fleet retain the rank for life, the highest rank to which officers on active service are promoted is Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-10, equivalent to a Marshal of the Royal Air Force or a Field Marshal in the British Army.

Admiral of the Fleet is also used as a title in some of the world's militaries for the most senior officer of the fleet or Commander-in-Chief of the Navy. In the German Kriegsmarine of the Second World War, the rank was referred to as Grand Admiral.

See also: Fleet Admiral (US)

Admirals of the Fleet

The practice of ordinarily promoting retiring First Sea Lords or Admirals becoming Chief of the Defence Staff to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet was then halted.
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Flag of the United Kingdom

British commissioned officer ranks

  Student Officer OF(D) OF-1 OF-2 OF-3 OF-4 OF-5 OF-6 OF-7 OF-8 OF-9 OF-10
Royal Navy: OCdt Mid SLt Lt Lt Cdr Cdr Capt Cdre RAdm VAdm Adm Admiral of the Fleet
Royal Marines: OCdt 2Lt -

Lt

Capt Maj Lt Col Col Brig Maj Gen Lt Gen Gen
Army: OCdt OD 2Lt -

Lt

Capt Maj Lt Col Col Brig Maj Gen Lt Gen Gen Field Marshal
Royal Air Force: OCdt OD PO -

FO

Flt Lt Sqn Ldr Wg Cdr Gp Capt ACdre AVM AM ACM MRAF

See also: Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy), 10 November, 11 December, 12 August, 12 July, 12 March, 12 September