Fleet Commander

Fleet Commander
Fleet Commander
	Ensign of the Royal Navy
	Incumbent; Vice Admiral Steve Moorhouse; since 5 September 2025
	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

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.

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 It was superseded by Commander Fleet Operational Sea Training, and in the process the senior Sea Training officer was regraded downwards from a rear admiral to a commodore.^[6]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	September 2025
	Vice Admiral	Steve Moorhouse^[13]	September 2025

Deputy Fleet Commander

April–December 2012: Vice Admiral Sir Philip Jones^[14]
Position Vacant^[15]^[16]

References

^ ^a ^b "Navy Board".
^ "How Defence Works Version 6.0 Sep2020" (PDF). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. UK MOD. 23 September 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020. page 28
^ "A real privilege to assume the role of Director Force Generation for the Royal Navy. I have the telescope!!".
^ "Freedom of Information Response" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 17 December 2020.
^ "Navy Command senior, as of April 2017 - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. MOD UK. 30 April 2018. Archived from the original on 9 August 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2018.
^ "Who is the new Flag Officer Sea Training" (PDF). whatdotheyknow.com. Whatdotheyknow. 27 April 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020. In response to your request, I can advise you that the title Flag Officer Sea Training will cease to exist on 1 May 2020 and is replaced by the 1* post of Commander Fleet Operational Sea Training
^ "Air Command senior, as of September 2012 - GOV.UK". assets.publishing.service.gov.uk.
^ "Navy Command senior, as of March 2014". Retrieved 26 November 2016.
^ Ups and outs: October 2012 Defence Viewpoints
^ ^a ^b "Royal Navy appoints new Fleet Commander". Royal Navy. Retrieved 10 February 2016.
^ "Royal Navy Appoints New Senior Officers". Forces.net. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
^ "Royal Navy appoints new Fleet Commander". Royal Navy. 24 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
^ "New Fleet Commnder takes over Royal Navy role". 5 September 2025. Retrieved 5 September 2025.
^ Royal Navy’s Deputy Fleet Commander Visits UK Hydrographic Office Subsea World News, 30 July 2012
^ "Navy senior staff, March 2013".
^ Peter, Jeff. "Fleet training". Retrieved 13 April 2024.

"Ministry of Defence Organogram". data.gov.uk. MOD 31 March 2016. Archived from the original on 8 August 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
"Royal Navy Directory 2017" (PDF). Royal Navy. Retrieved 8 August 2018.