Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy)



Admiral of the Fleet is a rank of the British Royal Navy and other navies, which equates to the NATO rank code OF-10.

The rank evolved from the ancient sailing days and the admiral distinctions used by the Royal Navy then. The British fleet was divided into three divisions and each designated a colour, that of Red, White, or Blue. Each coloured division was assigned an Admiral, who in turn had command over a Vice-Admiral and a Rear Admiral. In the 18th century, the original nine ranks began to be filled by more than one person per rank. The Admiral of the Fleet commanded the admirals of the various divisions and thus, the entirety of the British fleet. As head of the Royal Navy, this position was later given the name of First Sea Lord.

The organisation of the British fleet into coloured squadrons was abandoned in 1864 and Admiral of the Fleet became part of the modern system of military ranks. The Red Ensign was allocated to the Merchant Marine, the White Ensign became the flag of the Royal Navy, and the Blue Ensign was allocated to the naval reserve and naval auxiliary vessels. Routine appointments to the rank of Admiral of the Fleet (and its equivalents in the other British services) ceased in 1996; however, it does still exist and those who have already been appointed are unaffected by this cessation.

Admiral of the Fleet is equivalent to a 5 star rank and 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 equivalent rank was Grand Admiral.

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 stopped.