The Commander-in-Chief Fleet (CINCFLEET) was the

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

responsible for the operations of the ships, submarines and aircraft of the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

from 1971 until April 2012. The post was subordinate to the

First Sea Lord First Sea Lord, officially known as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff (1SL/CNS), is the title of a statutory position in the British Armed Forces, held by an Admiral (Royal Navy), admiral or a General (United Kingdom), general of the ...

, the professional head of the Naval Service. In its last years, as the Navy shrank, more administrative responsibilities were added. In April 2012, the post was abolished, its rank downgraded from admiral to three-star vice admiral, and re-designated

Fleet Commander 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 (United Kingdom), Naval Service. The Vice-Admiral incumbent is requ ...

and Deputy Chief of Naval Staff.

History

Prior to 1964 responsibility for control and direction of British naval affairs lay with the

Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong * Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral *Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings * Admiralty, Tra ...

, naval command lay with the

Admiralty Naval Staff The Admiralty Naval Staff was the former senior command, operational planning, policy and strategy department within the British Admiralty. It was established in 1917 and existed until 1964 when the department of the Admiralty was abolished. It was ...

. Following the merger of the Admiralty in 1964 into the new

Ministry of Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see American and British English spelling differences#-ce.2C -se, spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and Mi ...

it became known as the Navy Department. In November 1971, force reductions resulted in the Western Fleet being amalgamated with the

Far East Fleet The Far East Fleet (also called the Far East Station) was a fleet of the Royal Navy from 1952 to 1971. During the Second World War, the Eastern Fleet included many ships and personnel from other navies, including the navies of the Netherlands, ...

. It was to be commanded by a four star admiral who held the title Commander-in-Chief Fleet, with his headquarters at the

Northwood Headquarters Northwood Headquarters is a military headquarters facility of the British Armed Forces in Eastbury, Hertfordshire, England, adjacent to the London suburb of Northwood. It is home to the following military command and control functions: #Headq ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, former county in South East England, now mainly within Greater London. Its boundaries largely followed three rivers: the River Thames, Thames in the south, the River Lea, Le ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. Previous to November 1971, on 1 May 1971 CINCWF had already assumed responsibility for the administration of ships in the

. From 1971-72 CINCFLEET directed

Flag Officer, Carriers and Amphibious Ships Flag Officer, Carriers and Amphibious Ships (FOCAS) was a senior Royal Navy post that existed from 1970 to 1979. However, its antecedents date to 1931. A Flag Officer with specific responsibilities for command of aircraft carriers within the Roy ...

;

Flag Officer First Flotilla The First Flotilla was a naval formation of the British Royal Navy commanded by the Flag Officer, First Flotilla from 1971 to 1990. The Western Fleet and Far East Fleet were merged into the single Commander-in-Chief Fleet in 1971. Within this ne ...

; Flag Officer, Second Flotilla; Flag Officer Submarines; the

Hydrographer of the Navy The Hydrographer of the Navy is the principal hydrographical Royal Naval appointment. From 1795 until 2001, the post was responsible for the production of charts for the Royal Navy, and around this post grew the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office ...

, Rear Admiral Geoffrey Hall (all survey vessels); Flag Officer Sea Training (all ships in workup at Portland); and Captain, Mine Countermeasures. Operational control was delegated to FOSNI,

Flag Officer Plymouth The Commander-in-Chief, Plymouth, was a senior commander of the Royal Navy for hundreds of years. Plymouth Command was a name given to the units, establishments, and staff operating under the admiral's command. Between 1845 and 1896, this offi ...

Flag Officer Gibraltar British Forces Gibraltar constitute those elements of the British Armed Forces stationed in the British overseas territory of Gibraltar. Gibraltar is used primarily as a training area, thanks to its good climate and rocky terrain, and as a stopov ...

, Flag Officer Malta,

Senior Naval Officer West Indies Senior (shortened as Sr.) means "the elder" in Latin and is often used as a suffix for the elder of two or more people in the same family with the same given name, usually a parent or grandparent. It may also refer to: * Senior (name), a surname ...

, Commander,

ANZUK ANZUK was a tripartite force formed by Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom to defend the Asian Pacific region after the United Kingdom withdrew forces from the east of Suez in the early 1970s. The ANZUK force was formed in Singapore on ...

Naval Forces, and Commodore-in-Charge, Hong Kong. The

, and Gibraltar Naval Base Commander, a

Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

, double-hatted as

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

's Commander Gibraltar Mediterranean (COMGIBMED). In the late 1980s two small patrol craft, , , were reported as being attached to FO Gibraltar. The post of CINCFLEET also was assigned the NATO appointments of Commander-in-Chief, Eastern Atlantic Area (CINCEASTLANT) and Commander-in-Chief Channel (CINCHAN). On 1 July 1994, the Channel Command was disestablished: however most of its subordinate commands remained in existence although reshuffled: most of the headquarters were absorbed within

Allied Command Europe An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...

particularly as part of the new

Allied Forces Northwestern Europe Allied Forces Northern Europe (AFNORTH) was the northern Major Subordinate Command of NATO's Allied Command Europe (ACE), located at Kolsås outside Oslo. In the case of war with the Soviet Union, AFNORTH would assume supreme command of all Allied ...

. In 1992 Fleet Headquarters moved to

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. Most of Portsmouth is located on Portsea Island, off the south coast of England in the Solent, making Portsmouth the only city in En ...

. In 2005, the

Second Sea Lord The Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (formerly Second Sea Lord) is deputy to the First Sea Lord and the second highest-ranking officer currently to serve in the Royal Navy and is responsible for personnel and naval shore estab ...

, reduced in rank from full Admiral to Vice-Admiral, came under CINCFLEET's command, a situation that lasted until the Levene reforms of 2012.

Responsibilities

Full command of the Fleet and responsibility for the Fleet element of military operational capability including the

Royal Marines The Royal Marines provide the United Kingdom's amphibious warfare, amphibious special operations capable commando force, one of the :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, five fighting arms of the Royal Navy, a Company (military unit), company str ...

and the

Royal Fleet Auxiliary The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service and provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RF ...

, was delegated to Commander-in-Chief Fleet, as is described in official descriptions circa 2010. In 1971 after the amalgamation of the Western and Far East Fleets the headquarters was established at Northwood, in the

London Borough of Hillingdon The London Borough of Hillingdon () is a London borough in Greater London, England. It forms part of outer London and West London, being the westernmost London borough. It was formed in 1965 from the districts of Hayes and Harlington Urban Distr ...

(

HMS Warrior At least five ships and one shore establishment of the Royal Navy have been named HMS ''Warrior'': * was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line launched in 1781. She became a receiving ship after 1818, a convict ship after 1840, and was broken up ...

). Both the CINCFLEET and CINCEASTLANT staffs were co-located there. By the early 21st century the headquarters was split. In 2002 a new Command Headquarters, the

Navy Command Headquarters The Navy Command is the current headquarters body of the Royal Navy, and as of 2012 its major organisational grouping. It is a hybrid, neither a command, nor simply an installation. Royal Navy official writings describe Navy Command Headquarters ...

Building at HMS ''Excellent'' in

was completed. Thereafter the headquarters was split between the Command HQ and CINCFLEET's Operational Headquarters at Northwood, co-located with the

Permanent Joint Headquarters The Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) is the British tri-service headquarters from where all overseas military operations are planned and controlled. It is situated at Northwood Headquarters in Northwood, London. The Permanent Joint Headqua ...

. By the 2010s, CINCFLEET was supported by: * Second Sea Lord and Commander-in-Chief Naval Home Command, based in HMS ''Excellent'', who was the Principal Personnel Officer for the Royal Navy. The CINCNAVHOME title lapsed in 2012. *Deputy CINCFLEET, based in HMS ''Excellent'', who directed the work of the Fleet Headquarters * Commander Operations, based at Northwood, responsible for fleet operations *

Commander United Kingdom Amphibious Forces Commandant General Royal Marines is the professional head of the Royal Marines. The title has existed since 1943. The role is held by a General who is assisted by a Deputy Commandant General, with the rank of brigadier. This position is not to be ...

, who was

Commandant General Royal Marines Commandant General Royal Marines is the professional head of the Royal Marines. The title has existed since 1943. The role is held by a General (United Kingdom), General who is assisted by a Deputy Commandant General, with the rank of Brigadier ( ...

Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces The Commander United Kingdom Strike Force (COMUKSTRKFOR or CSF) is a senior post in the Royal Navy. The post is the highest seagoing command in the Royal Navy. Its role is to direct UK, Allied or Coalition maritime forces anywhere in the world. ...

(previously known as Commander UK Task Group), who oversaw the commander of the UK Task Group (COMUKTG), subsequently renamed as the commander Amphibious Task Group (COMATG) and the commander UK Carrier Strike Group (COMUKCSG). Collectively, COMUKMARFOR, COMUKAMPHIBFOR, Commander UK Task Group (COMUKTG), and the

3 Commando Brigade United Kingdom Commando Force (UKCF), previously called 3 Commando Brigade (3 Cdo Bde), is the UK's special operations-capable commando formation of the Royal Marines. It is composed of Royal Marine Commandos and commando qualified personnel f ...

Headquarters comprised the "Fleet Battle Staff".

Commanders-in-Chief Fleet

The Commanders-in-Chief were: Most are listed at their final service rank, not at their rank as CINCFLEET, an admiral's position.

Deputy Commander-in-Chief, and Chief of Staff

Deputy Commanders have included: * Vice Admiral Sir

Roy Newman Vice-admiral Sir Roy Thomas Newman, (born 8 September 1936) is a former Royal Navy officer who became Flag Officer, Plymouth. Naval career Educated at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Barnet, Newman joined the Royal Navy in 1954.Debrett's P ...

, Feb 1990–June 1992 * Vice Admiral Sir

Geoffrey Biggs Vice Admiral Sir Geoffrey William Roger Biggs, (23 November 1938 – 29 June 2002) was a senior Royal Navy officer who served as Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet from 1992 to 1995.''Vice-Admiral Sir Geoffrey Biggs.'' The Times (London, England), ...

, June 1992–June 1994 * Vice Admiral Sir

Jonathan Tod Vice Admiral Sir Jonathan James Richard Tod Order of the Bath, KCB Order of the British Empire, CBE (born 26 March 1939) is a former Royal Navy officer who became Commander-in-Chief Fleet, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet. Naval career Educated Go ...

, June 1994–June 1997 * Vice Admiral Sir

Jeremy Blackham Vice Admiral Sir Jeremy Joe Blackham, (born 10 September 1943) is a former Royal Navy officer who served as Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet. Naval career Blackham joined the Royal Navy in 1961. He became commanding officer successively of the ...

, June 1997–Jan 1999 * Vice Admiral Sir

Fabian Malbon Vice Admiral Sir Fabian Malbon, (born 1 October 1946) is a retired Royal Navy officer who served as the Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey from 2005 to 2011. Naval career Educated at Brighton Hove and Sussex Grammar School, Malbon joined the Royal ...

, Jan 1999–May 2001 * Vice Admiral Sir

Jonathon Band Admiral Sir Jonathon Band (born 2 February 1950) is a retired Royal Navy officer who was the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff from 2006 to 2009. Before serving as First Sea Lord he was Commander-in-Chief Fleet. Since becoming First ...

, May 2001–July 2002 * Vice Admiral Sir

Mark Stanhope Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, (born 26 March 1952) is a retired Royal Navy officer. After serving as a submarine commander, he commanded a frigate and then commanded an aircraft carrier on operational patrol off Sierra Leone. He went on to be Depu ...

, July 2002–June 2004 * Vice Admiral Sir

Timothy McClement Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Pentreath McClement, (born 16 May 1951) is a former Royal Navy officer who served as Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet from 2004 to 2006. Naval career Educated at Douai School and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, McC ...

, June 2004–Oct 2006 * Vice Admiral

Paul Boissier Arthur Paul Boissier (25 January 1881 – 2 October 1953) was an English schoolmaster who was headmaster of Harrow School, and a wartime civil servant. He was a cricketer who played first-class cricket for Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1901 ...

, Oct 2006–July 2009 * Vice Admiral Sir

Richard Ibbotson Vice admiral (Royal Navy), Vice Admiral Sir Richard Jeffrey Ibbotson, (born 27 June 1954) is a former Royal Navy officer who served as Commander-in-Chief Fleet, Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet. Naval career Educated at Durham University, Ibbots ...

, July 2009–Jan 2011 * Vice Admiral Sir

George Zambellas Admiral Sir George Michael Zambellas, (born 4 April 1958) is a British retired Royal Navy officer. He served as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff from April 2013 before handing over duties to Admiral Sir Philip Jones in April 2016. ...

, Jan 2011–Dec 2011 * Vice Admiral Philip Jones Dec 2011–April 2012

Chiefs of Staff

The Commander-in-Chief, Fleet's principal staff officer was the Chief of Staff, Fleet, responsible for coordinating the supporting staff of Fleet Headquarters from November 1971 to 2012.

Subordinate commands

At various times included:

Structure charts

Flag Officer First Flotilla, 1989

The

(FOF1) was a

rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

based

HMNB Portsmouth His Majesty's Naval Base, Portsmouth (HMNB Portsmouth) is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Clyde and HMNB Devonport). Portsmouth Naval Base is part of the city of Portsmouth; it is loc ...

who commanded the navy's

First Flotilla The First Flotilla was a naval formation of the British Royal Navy commanded by the Flag Officer, First Flotilla from 1971 to 1990. The Western Fleet and Far East Fleet were merged into the single Commander-in-Chief Fleet in 1971. Within this ne ...

. *

** 1st Frigate Squadron,

HMNB Devonport His Majesty's Naval Base, Devonport (HMNB Devonport) is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Clyde and HMNB Portsmouth) and is the sole nuclear repair and refuelling facility for the Roya ...

with ***

Type 22 frigate The Type 22 frigate also known as the ''Broadsword'' class was a ship class, class of frigates built for the British Royal Navy. Fourteen were built in total, with production divided into three batches. Initially intended to be anti-submarine ...

s (Batch 2): , , , , , ** 2nd Frigate Squadron, HMNB Devonport with ***

s (Batch 1): , , , ** 5th Destroyer Squadron,

with ***

Type 42 destroyer The Type 42 or ''Sheffield'' class was a class of fourteen guided-missile destroyers that served in the Royal Navy.Marriott, Leo: ''Royal Navy Destroyers since 1945'', , Ian Allan Ltd, 1989 A further two ships of this class were built for and ...

s: , , , , , **

6th Frigate Squadron The 6th Frigate Squadron was an administrative unit of the Royal Navy from 1950 to 2002. History During its existence, the squadron included , Type 15, , , , and Type 23 frigates. Ships from the squadron participated in the Coronation Fleet ...

, HMNB Devonport with *** s (Batch 3A): , , , , *** Dartmouth Training Squadron (JFS 1989, p. 651) ****

Type 82 destroyer The Type 82 or ''Bristol''-class destroyer was a 1960s guided missile destroyer design intended to replace s in the Royal Navy. Originally eight warships were planned to provide area air-defence for the four planned CVA-01 aircraft carriers. ...

: , s (Batch 3B): ,

Flag Officer, Second Flotilla, 1989

The Flag Officer, Second Flotilla was a

based

who commanded the navy's

Second Flotilla The Flag Officer, Second Flotilla was a senior British Royal Navy appointment from 1971 to 1992. History After the creation of the single Commander-in-Chief Fleet post in 1971, its subordinate commands were reorganised. Three major sub-commands w ...

. *

, with ships based

: ** 3rd Destroyer Squadron, RN Dockyard Rosyth with ***

s: , , , , , ** 4th Frigate Squadron, HMNB Devonport with ***

Type 21 frigate The Type 21 frigate, or ''Amazon''-class frigate, was a British Royal Navy general-purpose escort that was designed in the late 1960s, built in the 1970s and served throughout the 1980s into the 1990s. Development In the mid-1960s, the Royal Na ...

s: , , , , , ** 7th Frigate Squadron, HMNB Devonport with *** s (Batch 2): , (Batch 1, decommissioned April 1989), , , , , ** 8th Frigate Squadron, HMNB Devonport with ***

s (Batch 3): , , (commissioned 4 May 1990),

Flag Officer, Third Flotilla, 1989

The Flag Officer, Third Flotilla was a

based at

who doubled as NATO Commander Anti-Submarine Warfare Striking Force. In 1989 Vice Admiral

Alan Grose Vice Admiral Sir Alan Grose KBE (born 24 September 1937) is a former Royal Navy officer who became Flag Officer, Plymouth. Naval career Educated at Strode's School and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, Grose joined the Royal Navy in 1957.Debre ...

held this appointment. * Third Flotilla,

** , (refit at HMNB Devonport), , , RFA Argus, RFA Engadine (decommissioned March 1989), , HMS ''Endurance'' (ice

patrol vessel A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and they ...

)

Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland, 1989

HMS Quorn is pictured as she departs from Portsmouth

The

Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland The Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland (FOSNI) was a senior post in the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. It was based at HM Naval Base Clyde, and the holder of the post was the Royal Navy's senior officer in Scotland. The post of FOSNI ...

(FOSNI) was a

vice admiral Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. Australia In the Royal Australian Navy, the rank of Vice ...

based at

RAF Pitreavie Castle Royal Air Force Pitreavie Castle or RAF Pitreavie Castle was a station of the Royal Air Force located at Pitreavie Castle in Dunfermline and near Rosyth, Fife, Scotland. Built in the early 17th century, the castle was sold to the Air Ministry in ...

, who commanded the navy's units in

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

and

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...

and double-hatted as Naval Base Commander at Rosyth,

Commander Northern Sub-Area (NORLANT) and Commander Nore Sub-Area Channel (NORECHAN). The main unit under his command was the Mine Countermeasures Flotilla based at Royal Naval Dockyard Rosyth on the

Firth of Forth The Firth of Forth () is a firth in Scotland, an inlet of the North Sea that separates Fife to its north and Lothian to its south. Further inland, it becomes the estuary of the River Forth and several other rivers. Name ''Firth'' is a cognate ...

, which was commanded by a

commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (India), in India ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ' ...

. Additionally the Second Flotilla's 3rd Destroyer Squadron was based at RN Dockyard Rosyth. In war FOSNI would have been one of two naval operational commands, with the other being

. *

Rosyth Rosyth () is a town and Garden City in Fife, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth. Scotland's first Garden city movement, Garden City, Rosyth is part of the Greater Dunfermline Area and is located 3 miles south of Dunfermline city cen ...

** Mine Countermeasures Flotilla, Royal Naval Dockyard Rosyth *** 1st Mine Countermeasures Squadron, RN Dockyard Rosyth with ****

Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel The Hunt class is a class of thirteen mine countermeasure vessels of the Royal Navy. As built, they combined the separate roles of the traditional minesweeper and that of the active minehunter in one hull, but later modifications saw the re ...

s: , , , *** 2nd Mine Countermeasures Squadron, RN Dockyard Rosyth with ****

s: , , , , *** 3rd Mine Countermeasures Squadron,

with **** s: HMS ''Hubberston'', , HMS ''Sheraton'', HMS ''Brinton'', , HMS ''Maxton'' (decommissioned August 1989) **** : (commissioned 9 June 1989) *** 4th Mine Countermeasures Squadron, RN Dockyard Rosyth with ****

s: , , , *** 10th Mine Countermeasures Squadron, manned by the

Royal Naval Reserve The Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) is one of the two volunteer reserve forces of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Together with the Royal Marines Reserve, they form the Maritime Reserve. The present RNR was formed by merging the original ...

and each of the squadron's ships assigned to a reserve divisions: **** s: HMS ''Waveney'', HMS ''Carron'', HMS ''Dovey'', HMS ''Helford'', HMS ''Humber'', HMS ''Blackwater'', HMS ''Itchen'', HMS ''Helmsdale'', HMS ''Orwell'', HMS ''Ribble'', HMS ''Spey'', HMS ''Arun'' ***

Fishery Protection Squadron The Overseas Patrol Squadron (known as the Fishery Protection Squadron until 2020) is a front-line squadron of the Royal Navy with responsibility for patrolling the UK's Extended Fisheries Zone, both at home and around British Overseas Territori ...

, RN Dockyard Rosyth with: **** s: , HMS ''Soberton'', HMS ''Upton'' ****

Castle-class patrol vessel The Castle class was a class of British offshore patrol vessels of the Royal Navy. Two ships were constructed and after nearly 30 years service were sold to the Bangladesh Navy in 2010. The Bangladesh Navy upgraded these with more armaments inc ...

: ****

Island-class patrol vessel The Island-class patrol vessel was first designed and built for the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency. As a result of the Royal Navy's experiences in the Cod Wars with Iceland, FPV ''Jura'' (loaned to the Navy as ) and FPV ''Westra'' were put ...

s: HMS ''Anglesey'', HMS ''Alderney'', HMS ''Jersey'', HMS ''Guernsey'', HMS ''Shetland'', HMS ''Orkney'', HMS ''Lindisfarne'' *** Northern Ireland Patrol Squadron,

Belfast Harbour Belfast Harbour is a major maritime hub in Belfast, Northern Ireland, handling 67% of Northern Ireland's seaborne trade and about 25% of the maritime trade of the entire island of Ireland. It is a vital gateway for raw materials, exports and c ...

with **** s: HMS ''Cuxton'', HMS ''Kedleston'', HMS ''Nurton'', (built with

glass-reinforced plastic Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass ( Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass c ...

) **** Bird-class patrol vessels: HMS ''Cygnet'', , HMS ''Redpole''

Flag Officer Plymouth, 1989

The

was a

based at Admiralty House, who commanded the navy's units in

and

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

and double-hatted as

Naval Base Commander Devonport His Majesty's Naval Base, Devonport (HMNB Devonport) is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Clyde and HMNB Portsmouth) and is the sole nuclear repair and refuelling facility for the Roya ...

Commander Central Sub-Area The Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT) was one of two supreme commanders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the other being the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). The SACLANT led Allied Command Atlantic was based at ...

(CENTLANT) and

Commander Plymouth Sub-Area Channel Allied Command Channel (ACCHAN) was one of three major North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) commands from 1952 to 1994. Commander-in-Chief Channel was a Major NATO Commander (MNC). The Command was established in 1952 to defend the sea areas a ...

(PLYMCHAN). In war Flag Officer Plymouth would have been one of two naval operational commands, with the other being

Flag Officer Submarines, 1989

The Flag Officer Submarines was a

based at

, who commanded the

Royal Navy Submarine Service The Royal Navy Submarine Service is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. It is sometimes known as the Silent Service, as submarines are generally required to operate undetected. The service operates six fleet submarines ( SSNs), ...

and double-hatted as

Commander Submarine Force Eastern Atlantic (COMSUBEASTLANT). * Flag Officer Submarines (FOSM),

, Eastbury *** 1st Submarine Squadron, HMS ''Dolphin'' with **** s: (only harbour service), (sold to Canada in 1989), (sold to Canada in 1989), , , , , , *** 2nd Submarine Squadron,

with **** s: , (refit at

), **** s: , , , , , (commissioned 12 May 1990) *** 3rd Submarine Squadron,

HMNB Clyde His Majesty's Naval Base, Clyde (HMNB Clyde; also HMS ''Neptune''), primarily sited at Faslane on the Gare Loch, is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy (the others being HMNB Devonport and HMNB Portsmouth). It ...

with **** s: , , **** s: (refit at RN Dockyard Rosyth), , **** s: , (refit at

) **** s: , , *** 10th Submarine Squadron, HMNB Clyde with **** ''Resolution''-class

ballistic missile submarine A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine capable of deploying submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) with nuclear warheads. These submarines became a major weapon system in the Cold War because of their nuclear deterrence capabi ...

s: , , (refit at RN Dockyard Rosyth),

Flag Officer Naval Air Command, 1989

The Flag Officer Naval Air Command was a

based at

RNAS Yeovilton Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, commonly referred to as WAFU central, (HMS ''Heron'') is an airbase of the Royal Navy, sited a few miles north of Yeovil, in the English county of Somerset. It is one of two active Fleet Air Arm bases, the ...

, who commanded the

Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, RN fighting arms. it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the Lockhee ...

. * Flag Officer Naval Air Command (FONAC),

** RNAS Prestwick: ***

819 Naval Air Squadron 819 Naval Air Squadron (819 NAS), also known as 819 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It most recently operated Westland Sea King between February 1971 and November 2001. Establish ...

(

Anti-submarine An anti-submarine weapon (ASW) is any one of a number of devices that are intended to act against a submarine and its crew, to destroy (sink) the vessel or reduce its capability as a weapon of war. In its simplest sense, an anti-submarine weapon ...

, Sea King HAS.5) ***

824 Naval Air Squadron 824 Naval Air Squadron is a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm squadron based at RNAS Culdrose and currently operating the AgustaWestland Merlin HM2 Operational Conversion Unit. It trains aircrew in Anti-Submarine warfare and Airborne Surveillance and C ...

(Anti-submarine, Sea King HAS.6) (disbanded August 1989) **

: ***

707 Naval Air Squadron 707 Naval Air Squadron (707 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN) which disbanded during February 1995. The unit was operational during the Second World War, having been established in Febru ...

(

Air assault Air assault is the movement of ground-based military forces by vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, such as helicopters, to seize and hold key terrain that has not been fully secured, and to directly engage enemy forces behind enemy l ...

, Sea King HC.4) ***

800 Naval Air Squadron 800 Naval Air Squadron (800 NAS) also referred to as 800 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It most recently operated the Harrier as part of Joint Force Harrier (JFH), from March ...

( Sea Harrier FRS.1, being upgraded to F(A).2) ***

801 Naval Air Squadron 801 Naval Air Squadron (801 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN) formed in 1933 which fought in World War II, the Korean War and the Falklands War. History Fleet Air Arm of the Royal A ...

(Sea Harrier FRS.1, being upgraded to F(A).2) ***

845 Naval Air Squadron 845 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. Part of the Commando Helicopter Force, it is a specialist amphibious unit operating the AgustaWestland Commando Merlin HC4 helicopter and provides troop transport and load ...

(Air assault, Sea King HC.4) ***

846 Naval Air Squadron 846 Naval Air Squadron is a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). The squadron represents one of the two primary AgustaWestland Merlin HC4 Squadrons that constitute the Royal Navy's Commando Helicopt ...

(Air assault, Sea King HC.4) *** 899 Naval Air Squadron (Training, Sea Harrier FRS.1, Sea Harrier T.4A/T.4N, Hunter T.8M) ***

Fleet Requirements and Aircraft Direction Unit The Fleet Requirements and Air Direction Unit (FRADU) was a unit of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm operated by the contractor Serco Defence and Aerospace. It was established in 1972. It was most recently equipped with 13 BAE Systems Hawk T1 adva ...

( Canberra TT.18, Hunter GA.11/T.8,

Dassault Falcon 20 The Dassault Falcon 20 is a French business jet developed and manufactured by Dassault Aviation. The first business jet developed by the firm, it became the first of a family of business jets to be produced under the same name; of these, both t ...

) **

RNAS Culdrose Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose (RNAS Culdrose, also known as HMS ''Seahawk''; International Civil Aviation Organization airport code, ICAO: EGDR) is a Royal Navy Military airbase, airbase located beside the town of Helston, situated on the L ...

: ***

705 Naval Air Squadron 705 Naval Air Squadron is a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). It currently forms part of No. 1 Flying Training School at RAF Shawbury and trains pilots and aircrew from all three services under 2 Mar ...

(Basic helicopter training, Gazelle HT.2/HT.3) ***

706 Naval Air Squadron 706 Naval Air Squadron (706 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). Established as a fighter and torpedo-bomber training unit in Australia at the end of World War Two, it was briefly reformed ...

(Sea King training, various Sea King) **** Sea King Training Unit (RAF unit attached to 706 Naval Air Squadron, 2x Sea King HAR.3) ***

750 Naval Air Squadron 750 Naval Air Squadron (750 NAS) is a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN) which provides training for both Royal Navy Observers and Royal Air Force (RAF) Weapon Systems Officers (WSOs) in managing nav ...

(Observer training, Jetstream T.2) ***

771 Naval Air Squadron 771 Naval Air Squadron (771 NAS) of the Fleet Air Arm was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It was formed on 24 May 1939 at , Lee-on-Solent as a Fleet Requirements Unit with 14 Fairey Swordfish ...

(Search & Rescue, Sea King HAR.5) ***

814 Naval Air Squadron 814 Naval Air Squadron or 814 NAS, nicknamed the Flying Tigers, is a squadron of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. It is currently equipped with the AgustaWestland Merlin HM2 anti-submarine warfare helicopter and is based at Royal Naval Air Stat ...

(Anti-submarine, Sea King HAS.5) ***

820 Naval Air Squadron 820 Naval Air Squadron (802 NAS), also referred to as 820 Squadron, is a carrier-based Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It currently operates the Merlin HM2 in two capacities, either for anti-su ...

(Anti-submarine, Sea King HAS.6) ***

826 Naval Air Squadron 826 Naval Air Squadron was a Fleet Air Arm aircraft squadron formed during World War II which has been reformed several times since then until last disbanded in 1993. History Second World War No. 826 Squadron was formed at RNAS Ford in Sussex ...

(Anti-submarine, Sea King HAS.6) ***

849 Naval Air Squadron 849 Naval Air Squadron (849 NAS), also referred to as 849 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It most recently operated the Merlin HM2 from February until April 2020. It was formed ...

(

Airborne early warning and control An airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system is an airborne radar early warning system designed to detect aircraft, ships, vehicles, missiles and other incoming projectiles at long ranges, as well as performing command and control of the ...

, 10x Sea King AEW.2A) ** RNAS Portland: ***

702 Naval Air Squadron 702 Naval Air Squadron (702 NAS), also referred to as 702 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It most recently operated the Westland Lynx, as the Lynx Headquarters and Training Squadr ...

(Training, Lynx HAS.3S) ***

772 Naval Air Squadron 772 Naval Air Squadron (772 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN) which last disbanded during September 1995. 772 Naval Air Squadron formed as a Fleet Requirements Unit out of 'Y' Flight fr ...

(Air assault, Sea King HC.4) ***

810 Naval Air Squadron 810 Naval Air Squadron (810 NAS), sometimes known to as 810 Squadron, was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It most recently operated Westland Sea King anti-submarine warfare helicopter betwee ...

(Anti-submarine, Sea King HAS.5, began conversion to HAS.6 in October 1989) ***

815 Naval Air Squadron 815 Naval Air Squadron is a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm squadron flying the AgustaWestland Wildcat HMA.2 helicopter and is the Navy's front line Wildcat Naval Air Squadron. The squadron is based at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron) in Somerset. The squa ...

(Frigate & destroyer helicopters, Lynx HAS.3S, most deployed on frigates and destroyers at sea) ***

829 Naval Air Squadron 829 Naval Air Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. Before it was decommissioned in March 2018, it operated the AgustaWestland Merlin HM2 helicopter. History 1940–1942 829 Naval Air Squadron first formed on 15 June 1940 as ...

(Frigate & destroyer helicopters, Lynx HAS.3S, most deployed on frigates and destroyers at sea) *** Lynx HMA.8 trials unit (formed in September 1989) ** Roborough: ***

Flying Grading Flight Flying may refer to: * Flight, the process of flying * Aviation, the creation and operation of aircraft Music Albums * ''Flying (Cody Fry album)'', 2017 * Flying (Grammatrain album), ''Flying'' (Grammatrain album), 1997 * Flying (Jonathan Fag ...

( Chipmunk T.10)

Commandant General Royal Marines, 1989

The

, in 1989

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

Sir

Martin Garrod Lieutenant General Sir John Martin Carruthers Garrod (29 May 1935 – 17 April 2009) was a Royal Marines officer who served as Commandant General Royal Marines from 1987 to 1990. Military career Educated at Sherwood College, Nainital in India ...

based at

Whitehall Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London, England. The road forms the first part of the A roads in Zone 3 of the Great Britain numbering scheme, A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea, London, Chelsea. It ...

, was the service head of the

. In 1991 their structure was described as "very top heavy. They have nearly 8,000 men to put 2,400 in the field...they have three 'tied' generals, the Commandant General, a major general as his chief of staff, and a major general commando forces." *

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

**Major-General, Commando Forces **

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

***

40 Commando 40 Commando RM is a battalion-sized formation of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within UK Commando Force, the principal Commando formation, under the operational command of the Fleet Commander. Their barracks are at Norton Manor ...

Taunton Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England. It is a market town and has a Minster (church), minster church. Its population in 2011 was 64,621. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century priory, monastic foundation, owned by the ...

***

42 Commando 42 Commando is a unit within the UK Commando Force. Based at Norton Manor, Royal Marines Condor and 42 Commando are based at Bickleigh Barracks, Plymouth. Personnel regularly deploy outside the United Kingdom on operations or training. All Roya ...

, Bickleigh ***

45 Commando 45 Commando Royal Marines (pronounced "four-five commando") is a battalion sized unit of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within UK Commando Force, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of the Fleet Comman ...

Arbroath Arbroath () or Aberbrothock ( ) is a former royal burgh and the largest town in the Subdivisions of Scotland, council area of Angus, Scotland, Angus, Scotland, with a population of 23,902. It lies on the North Sea coast, some east-northeast of ...

*** 4 Assault Squadron, Plymouth (4x LCU Mk.9, 4x LCVP Mk.4, 2x Centurion BARV), served aboard *** 539 Assault Squadron, Plymouth (4x LCU Mk.9, 4x LCVP Mk.4, 2x Centurion BARV), served aboard ***

3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron, Royal Marines, was formed in 1968 in Singapore by the amalgamation of three Commando Air Troops and the Brigade Flight. The squadron moved to Plymouth in 1971 and the two remaining UK Commando Air Troops became p ...

(12x Gazelle AH.1, 6x Lynx AH.1) *** 2 Raiding Squadron, Royal Marines (Reserve), Plymouth **

Comacchio Group The 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines (43 Cdo FP Gp RM), formerly Comacchio Company Royal Marines (1980–1983), Comacchio Group Royal Marines (1983–2001) and Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines (2001–2012), is a 550-man u ...

, guarded HMNB Clyde and the UK's naval nuclear weapons stored at

RNAD Coulport Royal Naval Armaments Depot Coulport, shortened to RNAD Coulport, on Loch Long in Argyll, Scotland, is the storage and loading facility for the nuclear warheads of the United Kingdom's Trident programme. The base, near the village of Coulpo ...

Royal Marines Police The Royal Marines Police, or Royal Marines Police Troop (RM Police Troop) is the Royal Marines element of the Royal Navy Police and the military police arm of the Royal Marines. Members of the RM Police enforce service law and discipline. St ...

, Plymouth **

Commando Training Centre Royal Marines Commando Training Centre Royal Marines (CTCRM) is the principal military training centre for the Royal Marines. It is situated near the villages of Lympstone and Exton, between the city of Exeter, and the town of Exmouth in Devon, England. Hi ...

Lympstone Lympstone is a village and civil parish in East Devon in the English county of Devon. It has a population of 2,100. There is a harbour on the estuary of the River Exe, lying at the outlet of Wotton Brook between cliffs of red breccia.

Royal Marines Reserve The Royal Marines Reserve (RMR) is the volunteer reserve force used to augment the regular Royal Marines. The RMR consists of some 600 trained ranks distributed among the four units within the UK. About 10 percent of the force are working with ...

(RMR), Plymouth *** RMR Bristol,

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

*** RMR London,

Wandsworth Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Toponymy Wandsworth takes its name ...

*** RMR Merseyside,

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

*** RMR Scotland,

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

*** RMR Tyne,

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...

Note: "(V)" denotes

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

reserve units.

History

Responsibilities

Commanders-in-Chief Fleet

Deputy Commander-in-Chief, and Chief of Staff

Chiefs of Staff

Subordinate commands

Structure charts

Flag Officer First Flotilla, 1989

Flag Officer, Second Flotilla, 1989

Flag Officer, Third Flotilla, 1989

Flag Officer Scotland and Northern Ireland, 1989

Flag Officer Plymouth, 1989

Flag Officer Submarines, 1989

Flag Officer Naval Air Command, 1989

Commandant General Royal Marines, 1989

See also

References

Further reading