Vice Admiral


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Vice Admiral
Affiliation: Federation/Starfleet
Higher Rank: Admiral
Lower Rank: Rear Admiral
Command:
Known Vice Admirals:
[ Source ]


Vice Admiral is a naval rank equivalent to Lieutenant General in the Starfleet Marine Corps. A Vice Admiral is typically senior to a Rear Admiral and junior to an Admiral. The insignia consists of three full gold pips on a rectangular plate.

History

The rank of Vice Admiral originated from the days of Naval Sailing Squadrons and can trace its origins to the Royal Navy. Each Naval Squadron would be assigned an admiral as its head, who would command from the centre vessel and direct the activities of the squadron. The admiral would in turn be assisted by a vice admiral, who commanded the lead ships which would bear the brunt of a naval assault. Though Vice Admirals are rarely in such positions of danger in the modern fleets, the tradition has carried forward to the point where they are junior to a full Admiral.

Commands

Vice Admirals are flag officers with a specific mandate, such as a large area of space or a sub-section of a division, such as one of the departments internal to the many fleets within Starfleet. They may also command Task Forces.


Starfleet Officer Ranks
Ensign Lieutenant JG Lieutenant Lieutenant Commander Commander Captain Fleet Captain Commodore Rear Admiral Vice Admiral Admiral Fleet Admiral