Chief of Navy (CN) commands the
Royal New Zealand Navy
The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN; mi, Te Taua Moana o Aotearoa, , Sea Warriors of New Zealand) is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. The fleet currently consists of nine ships. The Navy had its origins in the Naval Defence Act ...
(RNZN) and is responsible to the
Chief of Defence Force (CDF) for raising, training and sustaining those forces necessary to meet agreed government outputs. The CN acts as principal advisor to the CDF on Navy matters, and is the most senior appointment in the RNZN. The rank associated with the position is
rear admiral
Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star " admiral" rank. It is often rega ...
, and CNs are generally appointed on a three-year term.
The position was originally created as Chief of Naval Staff and First Naval Member upon the formation of the RNZN on 1 October 1941. A number of the officers who became CNS served as Commodore, Auckland (later named
Maritime Component Commander) before taking the helm of the Navy. The title changed to Chief of Naval Staff in 1970, and CN in 2003.
Rear Admiral
David Proctor, the incumbent CN, assumed the post on 29 November 2018.
Appointees
The following list chronologically records those who have held the post of Chief of Navy or its preceding positions, with rank and honours as at the completion of the individual's term.
, -
, colspan="6" align="center" bgcolor="white" , Chief of Naval Staff and First Naval Member
, -
, colspan="6" align="center" bgcolor="white" , Chief of Naval Staff
, -
, colspan="6" align="center" bgcolor="white" , Chief of Navy
Notes
References
{{Chief of the navy by country
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...
Royal New Zealand Navy