| Vice admiral | |
|---|---|
 Vice admiral's command flag | |
 The VADM insignia | |
| Country | Australia |
| Service branch | Royal Australian Navy |
| Abbreviation | VADM |
| Rank group | Flag officer |
| Rank | Three-star |
| Non-NATO rank | OF-8 |
| Pay grade | O-9 |
| Formation | 12 July 1936 (1936-07-12) |
| Next higher rank | Admiral |
| Next lower rank | Rear admiral |
| Equivalent ranks | Lieutenant general (Army) Air marshal (RAAF) |
Vice admiral (abbreviated as VADM) is the second-highest active rank of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). It is a three-star rank, and was created as a direct equivalent of the British rank of vice admiral. The rank is held by the Chief of Navy and, when the positions are held by navy officers, by the Vice Chief of the Defence Force, the Chief of Joint Operations, the Chief of Joint Capabilities, or equivalent position.
Vice admiral is a higher rank than rear admiral, but lower than admiral. Vice admiral is the equivalent of air marshal in the Royal Australian Air Force and lieutenant general in the Australian Army.
Since the mid-1990s, the insignia of a Royal Australian Navy vice admiral is the Crown of St. Edward above a crossed sabre and baton, above three silver stars, above the word "AUSTRALIA". The stars have eight points as in the equivalent Royal Navy insignia. Prior to 1995, the RAN shoulder board was identical to the British shoulder board.
List of vice admirals
This along with the * (asterisk) indicates that the officer was subsequently promoted to admiral.
This along with the ^ (arrowhead) indicates that the officer is a currently serving vice admiral.
The following people have held the rank of vice admiral in the Royal Australian Navy:
| Name | Year of promotion | Senior command(s) or appointment(s) in rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sir William Creswell | 1922 | ||
| Sir William Clarkson | 1922 | Third Naval Member (1911–22) | |
| Sir George Hyde* | 1932 | First Naval Member and Chief of Staff (1931–37) | |
| Sir John Collins | 1950 | First Naval Member and Chief of Staff (1948–55) | |
| Sir Roy Dowling | 1955 | First Naval Member and Chief of Staff (1955–59) | |
| Sir Henry Burrell | 1959 | First Naval Member and Chief of Staff (1959–62) | |
| Sir Hastings Harrington | 1962 | First Naval Member and Chief of Staff (1962–65) | |
| Sir Alan McNicoll | 1965 | First Naval Member and Chief of Staff (1965–68) | |
| Sir Victor Smith* | 1968 | First Naval Member and Chief of Staff (1968–70) | |
| Sir Richard Peek | 1970 | First Naval Member and Chief of Staff (1970–73) | |
| Sir David Stevenson | 1973 | First Naval Member and Chief of Staff (1973–76) | |
| Sir Anthony Synnot* | 1976 | Chief of Naval Staff (1976–79) | |
| Sir James Willis | 1979 | Chief of Naval Staff (1979–82) | |
| David Leach | 1982 | Chief of Naval Staff (1982–85) | |
| Michael Hudson* | 1985 | Chief of Naval Staff (1985–91) | |
| Ian Knox | 1987 | Vice Chief of the Defence Force (1987–89) | |
| Alan Beaumont* | 1989 | Vice Chief of the Defence Force (1989–92) | |
| Ian MacDougall | 1991 | Chief of Naval Staff (1991–94) | |
| Rodney Taylor | 1991 | Chief of Naval Staff (1994–97) | |
| Robert Walls | 1995 | Vice Chief of the Defence Force (1995–97) | |
| Donald Chalmers | 1997 | Chief of Navy (1997–99) | |
| Chris Barrie* | 1997 | Vice Chief of the Defence Force (1997–98) | |
| David Shackleton | 1999 | Chief of Navy (1999–2002) | |
| Chris Ritchie | 2002 | Chief of Navy (2002–05) | |
| Russ Shalders | 2002 | Chief of Navy (2005–08), Vice Chief of the Defence Force (2002–05) | |
| Matt Tripovich | 2007 | Chief Capability Development Group (2007–10) | |
| Russ Crane | 2008 | Chief of Navy (2008–11) | |
| Ray Griggs | 2011 | Vice Chief of the Defence Force (2014–18), Chief of Navy (2011–14) | |
| Peter Jones | 2011 | Chief Capability Development Group (2011–14) | |
| David Johnston* | 2014 | Vice Chief of the Defence Force (2018–24), Chief of Joint Operations (2014–18) | |
| Tim Barrett | 2014 | Chief of Navy (2014–18) | |
| Michael Noonan | 2018 | Chief of Navy (2018–22) | |
| Stuart Mayer | 2019 | Deputy Commander United Nations Command (2019–21) | |
| Jonathan Mead^ | 2020 | Chief of the Nuclear-Powered Submarine Task Force (2021–), Chief of Joint Capabilities (2020–21) | |
| Mark Hammond^ | 2022 | Chief of Navy (2022–) |
See also
Notes
- Usually in Commonwealth countries a scimitar is used in the insignia, which is an open-handled weapon; the sabre has a closed handle.
- Creswell, who served as First Naval Member, Australian Commonwealth Naval Board from 1911 to 1919, was promoted to vice admiral on the Retired List in 1922.
- Engineer Rear Admiral Clarkson was transferred to the Retired List with the rank of engineer vice admiral on 1 November 1922
References
- "Uniform Ranks". Royal Australian Navy. Australian Government. Archived from the original on 24 January 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
- ^ "Naval Forces of the Commonwealth". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 14 September 1922. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- ^ "Naval Forces of the Commonwealth". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 21 December 1922. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
- "Naval Forces of the Commonwealth". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 10 November 1932. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- "Naval Forces of the Commonwealth". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 8 June 1950. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- "Naval Forces of the Commonwealth". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 23 June 1955. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- "Naval Forces of the Commonwealth". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 12 March 1959. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- "Naval Forces of the Commonwealth". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 25 May 1961. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- "Naval Forces of the Commonwealth". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 26 November 1964. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- "Naval Forces of the Commonwealth". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 2 November 1967. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- "Naval Forces of the Commonwealth". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 15 October 1970. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- "Naval Forces of the Commonwealth". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 15 October 1970. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- "Admiral Sir Anthony Monckton Synnot". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- "Vice Admiral Guido James Willis". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- "Vice Admiral David Willoughby Leach". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- "Admiral Michael Wyndham Hudson". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- "Vice Admiral Ian Knox". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- "Admiral Alan Lee Beaumont". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- "Vice Admiral Ian Donald George MacDougall". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- "Vice Admiral Rodney Graham Taylor". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- "Vice Admiral Robert Andrew Kevin Walls". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- "Vice Admiral Donald Bruce Chalmers". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- "Admiral Christopher Alexander Barrie". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- "Vice Admiral David John Shackleton". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- "Vice Admiral Christopher Angus Ritchie". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- "Vice Admiral Russell Edward Shalders". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- "Vice Admiral Matthew John Tripovich". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- "Vice Admiral Russell Harry Crane". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- "Vice Admiral Ray Griggs". Biographies. Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- "Vice Admiral Peter David Jones". Biographies. Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- "Vice Admiral David Lance Johnston". Biographies. Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- "Vice Admiral Tim Barrett". Biographies. Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- "Vice Admiral Michael Joseph Noonan". Biographies. Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
- "Vice Admiral Stuart Campbell Mayer". Biographies. Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
- "Vice Admiral Jonathan Dallas Mead". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
- "Vice Admiral Mark Hammond". Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
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