Admiral (Canada)

The rank of Admiral in Canada is typically held by only one officer whose position is Chief of the Defence Staff and the senior uniformed officer of the Canadian Forces. It is equivalent to the Army and Air Force rank of general.

The current incumbent of the position of CDS is General Thomas J. Lawson. The last naval officer to hold this position was Vice-Admiral Larry Murray, who held it on a temporary basis. The last naval officer to hold the rank of admiral and the position of CDS was Admiral John Rogers Anderson. Prince Philip holds the rank in an honorary capacity.

On May 5, 2010, the Canadian naval uniform dark dress tunic was adjusted, removing exterior epaulettes and 'reverting' to the sleeve-ring and "executive curl" rank insignia used by a majority of navies throughout the world. This means that a Canadian admiral's dress tunic no longer bears a single broad stripe on the sleeve, with epaulettes on the shoulders, as was the case since unification (1968), but has a broad stripe plus three sleeve rings, without any epaulettes on the exterior of the tunic (epaulettes are still worn on the uniform shirt underneath the tunic).