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

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some 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, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

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. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

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

First Sea Lord The First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff (1SL/CNS) is the military head of the Royal Navy and Naval Service of the United Kingdom. The First Sea Lord is usually the highest ranking and most senior admiral to serve in the British Armed ...

, 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. The Vice-Admiral incumbent is required to provide ships, submarine ...

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, Traf ...

, naval command lay with the Admiralty Naval Staff. Following the merger of the Admiralty in 1964 into the new Ministry of Defence it became known as the Navy Department. In November 1971, force reductions resulted in the

Western Fleet The Red Sea Fleet Command or officially Western Fleet (WF), also called ''" West Coast Fleet ",'' is a regional naval fleet and one of the two main formations of the Saudi Arabian Navy, with headquarters at Royal Naval Base at Jeddah, Western Pr ...

being amalgamated with the

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

. It was to be commanded by a

four star admiral Military star ranking is military terminology, used to describe General officer, general and flag officers. Within Member states of NATO, NATO's armed forces, the stars are equal to Ranks and insignia of NATO, OF-6–10. Star ranking One–star ...

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: #Headqua ...

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. 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 Ro ...

; Flag Officer First Flotilla;

Flag Officer, 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 ...

; Flag Officer Submarines; the Hydrographer of the Navy, 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, Flag Officer Gibraltar, Flag Officer Malta, Senior Naval Officer West Indies, Commander, ANZUK Naval Forces, and Commodore-in-Charge, Hong Kong. The Flag Officer Gibraltar, and Gibraltar Naval Base Commander, a

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 regarde ...

, double-hatted as

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

'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 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 Allie ...

. In 1992 Fleet Headquarters moved to

Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...

. In 2005, the

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

, 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 Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...

and the

Royal Fleet Auxiliary The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) is a naval auxiliary fleet owned by the UK's Ministry of Defence. It provides logistical and operational support to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines. The RFA ensures the Royal Navy is supplied and supported by ...

, 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 the largest and westernmost borough in West London, England. It was formed from the districts of Hayes and Harlington, Ruislip-Northwood, Uxbridge, and Yiewsley and West Drayton in the ceremonial county ...

( HMS Warrior). 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 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 both ...

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 Headquar ...

. By the 2010s, CINCFLEET was supported by: *

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

, 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, who was

Commandant General Royal Marines The 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 t ...

Commander United Kingdom Maritime Forces Commander United Kingdom Strike Force (COMUKSTRKFOR or CSF) and Rear Admiral Surface Ships (RASS) 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 mar ...

(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 3 Commando Brigade (3 Cdo Bde), previously called the 3rd Special Service Brigade, is a commando formation of the British Armed Forces. It is composed of the Royal Marine Commandos, alongside commando qualified sailors, soldiers and airmen f ...

Headquarters comprised the "Fleet Battle Staff".

Commanders-in-Chief Fleet

The Commanders-in-Chief were:

Deputy Commander-in-Chief, and Chief of Staff

Deputy Commanders have included: * Vice Admiral Sir Roy Newman, Feb 1990–June 1992 * Vice Admiral Sir Geoffrey Biggs, June 1992–June 1994 * Vice Admiral Sir

Jonathan Tod Vice Admiral Sir Jonathan James Richard Tod KCB CBE (born 26 March 1939) is a former Royal Navy officer who became Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet. Naval career Educated Gordonstoun and the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, Tod joined the Royal ...

, 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 Roya ...

, 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 Deput ...

, 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, McCl ...

, 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 Sir Richard Jeffrey Ibbotson, (born 27 June 1954) is a former Royal Navy officer who served as Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet. Naval career Educated at Durham University, Ibbotson joined the Royal Navy in 1975 and specialized in ...

, July 2009–Jan 2011 * Vice Admiral Sir

George Zambellas Admiral Sir George Michael Zambellas, (born 4 April 1958) is a retired Royal Navy officer. He was the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff from April 2013 until he handed over duties to Admiral Sir Philip Jones in April 2016. In his ea ...

, 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

HMS Phoebe (F42) entering Hampton Roads 1990

The Flag Officer First Flotilla (FOF1) was a

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 regarde ...

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 lo ...

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 Roy ...

with ***

Type 22 frigate The Type 22 frigate also known as the ''Broadsword'' class was a 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 warfare fri ...

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 ...

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 planned CVA-01 aircraft carriers. They ...

: , s (Batch 3B): ,

Flag Officer, Second Flotilla, 1989

The

was a

based

who commanded the navy's Second Flotilla. * Second Flotilla, 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 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 the ...

)

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 HMNB Clyde, HM Naval Base Clyde, and the holder of the post was the Royal Navy’s senior officer in Scotland. The ...

(FOSNI) was a vice admiral 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 country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

and

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

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 the estuary, or firth, of several Scottish rivers including the River Forth. It meets the North Sea with Fife on the north coast and Lothian on the south. Name ''Firth'' is a cognate of ''fjord'', a Norse word meani ...

, which was commanded by a

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

. 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 Flag Officer Plymouth. *

Rosyth Rosyth ( gd, Ros Fhìobh, "headland of Fife") is a town on the Firth of Forth, south of the centre of Dunfermline. According to the census of 2011, the town has a population of 13,440. The new town was founded as a Garden city-style suburb ...

** 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 Class or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an anal ...

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 Ro ...

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 Territorie ...

, 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 incl ...

: ****

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 cloth ...

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

Flag Officer Plymouth, 1989

The Flag Officer Plymouth was a vice admiral based at Admiralty House, who commanded the navy's units in

and

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

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 Ro ...

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 a ...

(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 Eastbury may refer to: Places called: * Eastbury, Berkshire * Eastbury, Hertfordshire * Eastbury Manor House Eastbury Manor House is a Grade I listed building situated in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham in Greater London, England. ...

*** 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 submarines: , , (refit at RN Dockyard Rosyth),

Flag Officer Naval Air Command, 1989

Westland Sea King HAS6, UK - Navy AN1377450

The Flag Officer Naval Air Command was a

based at

RNAS Yeovilton Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, or RNAS Yeovilton, (HMS ''Heron'') is an airfield of the Royal Navy and British Army, sited a few miles north of Yeovil, Somerset. It is one of two active Fleet Air Arm bases (the other being RNAS Culdrose) ...

, who commanded the

Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wil ...

. * Flag Officer Naval Air Command (FONAC),

RNAS Prestwick HMS ''Gannet'' is a forward operating base of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm located at Glasgow Prestwick Airport, South Ayrshire in Scotland. The facility was previously also known as Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Prestwick before it was do ...

: *** 819 Naval Air Squadron ( Anti-submarine, 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 Co ...

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

: *** 707 Naval Air Squadron (

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

, Sea King HC.4) ***

800 Naval Air Squadron () , colors = , colors_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , equipment = , equipment_label = , battles = , battles_label = , decorations = , battle_honours = , battle_honours_label = , flying_hours = , website = , cur ...

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

801 Naval Air Squadron 801 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm squadron of the Royal Navy formed in 1933 which fought in World War II, the Korean War and the Falklands War. Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Air Force The squadron was formed on 3 April 1933 as part ...

(Sea Harrier FRS.1, being upgraded to F(A).2) *** 845 Naval Air Squadron (Air assault, Sea King HC.4) ***

846 Naval Air Squadron 846 Naval Air Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. Between December 1979 and the summer of 2013, 846 Naval Air Squadron operated the Westland Sea King HC4 helicopter to provide troop transport and load lifting support to ...

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

899 Naval Air Squadron 899 Naval Air Squadron (899 NAS) was a squadron of the Fleet Air Arm of the United Kingdom. It was most recently based at RNAS Yeovilton (HMS Heron) as the British Aerospace Sea Harrier FA2 training squadron until it was decommissioned in March ...

(Training, Sea Harrier FRS.1, Sea Harrier T.4A/T.4N, Hunter T.8M) *** Fleet Requirements and Aircraft Direction Unit ( 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 ...

) **

RNAS Culdrose Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose (RNAS Culdrose, also known as HMS ''Seahawk''; ICAO: EGDR) is a Royal Navy airbase near Helston on the Lizard Peninsula of Cornwall UK, and is one of the largest helicopter bases in Europe. Its main role is serv ...

: *** 705 Naval Air Squadron (Basic helicopter training, Gazelle HT.2/HT.3) ***

706 Naval Air Squadron 706 Naval Air Squadron (706 NAS) was a Naval Air Squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. Established as a fighter and torpedo-bomber training unit in Australia at the end of World War Two, it was briefly reformed as a helicopter squadron in th ...

(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 The Royal Navy Observer School grew out of HM Naval Seaplane Training School at RNAS Lee-on-Solent as a result of a series of changes of identity and parent unit. From 1918 until 1939 the Royal Air Force was responsible for naval aviation, includ ...

(Observer training, Jetstream T.2) *** 771 Naval Air Squadron (Search & Rescue, Sea King HAR.5) *** 814 Naval Air Squadron (Anti-submarine, Sea King HAS.5) *** 820 Naval Air Squadron (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 a ...

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

849 Naval Air Squadron 849 Naval Air Squadron was a squadron of the Fleet Air Arm, the Air Arm of the British Royal Navy. It was formed during the Second World War as a carrier based torpedo-bomber, unit, flying missions against Japanese targets in the Far East. Its ...

( Airborne early warning and control, 10x Sea King AEW.2A) **

RNAS Portland RNAS Portland (ICAO: EGDP) was an air station of the Royal Navy, situated at the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. It was established in 1917 on the western edge of Portland Harbour as HMS ''Sarepta''. From 1959 the station shared the name ...

: ***

702 Naval Air Squadron 702 Naval Air Squadron (702 NAS) was a naval squadron of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. It was based at RNAS Yeovilton in Somerset and earlier at RNAS Portland in Dorset. As a training Squadron it trained all ground and air crew for the sister ...

(Training, Lynx HAS.3S) *** 772 Naval Air Squadron (Air assault, Sea King HC.4) ***

810 Naval Air Squadron 810 Naval Air Squadron was a Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm carrier based squadron formed on 3 April 1933 with the amalgamation of the 12 Blackburn Dart aircraft from 463 and 44 Flight (Fleet Torpedo) Flights Royal Air Force to the Fleet Air Arm. The ...

(Anti-submarine, Sea King HAS.5, began conversion to HAS.6 in October 1989) *** 815 Naval Air Squadron (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 ( Chipmunk T.10)

Commandant General Royal Marines, 1989

The

, in 1989

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) 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 ...

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. 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 is the main ...

, 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 and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

**Major-General, Commando Forces **

Plymouth Plymouth () is a port city and unitary authority in South West England. It is located on the south coast of Devon, approximately south-west of Exeter and south-west of London. It is bordered by Cornwall to the west and south-west. Plymouth ...

*** 40 Commando,

Taunton Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England, with a 2011 population of 69,570. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, Taunton Castle, which later became a priory. The Normans built a castle owned by the ...

***

42 Commando 42 Commando (42 Cdo) (pronounced as Four-Two Commando) is a subordinate unit within the Royal Marines 3 Commando Brigade. Based at Bickleigh Barracks near Plymouth, personnel regularly deploy outside the United Kingdom on operations or training. ...

Bickleigh Bickleigh may refer to the following places in Devon, England: * Bickleigh, Mid Devon, a village near Tiverton ** Bickleigh Castle * Bickleigh, South Hams Bickleigh is a small village on the southern edge of Dartmoor in Devon, England. It h ...

*** 45 Commando,

Arbroath Arbroath () or Aberbrothock ( gd, Obar Bhrothaig ) is a former royal burgh and the largest town in the council area of Angus, Scotland, with a population of 23,902. It lies on the North Sea coast some ENE of Dundee and SSW of Aberdeen. The ...

*** 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,

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

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

Royal Marines Police The Royal Marines Police (RMP) is the Royal Marines element of the Royal Navy Police, a UK Service Police force. Members of the RM Police enforce service law and discipline. Duties and responsibilities The RM Police is responsible for provid ...

, 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. Histo ...

Lympstone Lympstone is a village and civil parish in East Devon in the English county of Devon. It has a population of 1,754. 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 750 trained ranks distributed among the four units within the UK. About 10 percent of the force are working with t ...

(RMR), Plymouth *** RMR Bristol,

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

*** 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 The London Plan is the statutory spatial development strategy for the Gre ...

*** RMR Merseyside,

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

*** RMR Scotland,

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

*** RMR Tyne,

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

Note: "(V)" denotes

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

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