Fleet Commander

For other uses, see Fleet Commander (disambiguation).

The Fleet Commander is a senior Royal Navy post, responsible for the operation, resourcing and training of the ships, submarines and aircraft, and personnel, of the Naval Service. The Vice-Admiral incumbent is required to provide ships, submarines and aircraft ready for operations, and is based at Navy Command Headquarters.

Fleet Commander
Ensign of the Royal Navy
Incumbent Vice Admiral Andrew Burns since 24 September 2021
Ministry of Defence Royal Navy
Member of	Admiralty Board, Navy Board, Navy Command
Reports to	First Sea Lord
Nominator	Secretary of State for Defence, on advice from the Defence Council
Appointer	Prime Minister Subject to formal approval by the King-in-Council
Term length	Not fixed (typically 1–4 years)
Inaugural holder	Admiral George Zambellas
Formation	2012

The post was created in April 2012 following a reorganisation of the Royal Navy and a re-designation of the former role of Commander-in-Chief Fleet.^[1]

Responsibilities

The Fleet Commander's purpose is to provide ships, submarines and aircraft ready for any operations that the Government requires.^[1]

The Fleet Commander's major subordinates included as of September 2020:^[2]

• Commander Operations
• Commander United Kingdom Strike Force
• Director Force Generation - Commodore Steve Moorhouse was promoted to Rear Admiral and became Director 14 January 2022 on the promotion of Martin Connell to Vice Admiral and Connell's appointment as Second Sea Lord.^[3]
• Commandant General Royal Marines^[4]

The previous post of Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Training)/Flag Officer Sea Training^[5] was disestablished in May-June 2020. It was superseded by Commander Fleet Operational Sea Training, and in the process the senior Sea Training officer was regraded downwards from a Rear Admiral to a Commodore.^[6]

The British Army equivalent is Commander Field Army. The RAF's Air and Space Commander is the close equivalent of the two positions.^[7]

List of Fleet Commanders

Fleet Commander

Fleet Commander and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff[8]
Image	Rank	Name	Term began	Term ended
	Admiral	Sir George Zambellas[9]	April 2012	December 2012
	Vice Admiral	Sir Philip Jones	December 2012	February 2016
Fleet Commander and Chief Naval Warfare Officer[10]
	Vice Admiral	Ben Key[10]	February 2016	March 2019
	Vice Admiral	Jerry Kyd[11]	March 2019	September 2021
	Vice Admiral	Andrew Burns[12]	September 2021

Deputy Fleet Commander

• April–December 2012: Vice Admiral Sir Philip Jones^[13]
• Position Vacant^[14][15]

See also

• List of serving senior officers of the Royal Navy