Fleet Admiral/Legends

"Fleet Admirals have it made. They only have to worry about the success of their subordinates, their Moff and guys whose name begins with Lord."

- Captain Seledrood

The rank of Fleet Admiral was a naval rank used in several eras.

History
The rank was first used in the Galactic Republic. The Fleet Admirals were possibly part of the Admiralty.

Within the Imperial Navy, the title of Fleet Admiral was accorded to the commanding officer of a major fleet within a Sector Group. A Fleet Admiral answered directly to the High Admiral in charge of Navy operations within their Sector, who was normally the Moff or Grand Moff of the sector; his own command might be a front-line Superiority Fleet, an Assault Fleet or Bombard Fleet for planetary suppression operations, or a logistical Deepdock Fleet or Support Fleet. The commanding officer of Death Squadron under Darth Vader was also a Fleet Admiral, such as Kendal Ozzel and Firmus Piett.

A Fleet Admiral was a very important member of the military hierarchy within a Sector, with authority over multiple Systems Forces commanded by subordinate Systems Admirals. However, it is not certain from the available evidence whether Fleet Admiral was a formally constituted rank in the Imperial hierarchy, or a title accorded to an officer commanding a fleet-level force, regardless of his substantive rank: for example, Michael Unther apparently served as the commanding Admiral of a Sector Fleet while still holding the substantive rank of Captain or Commander.

In the New Republic, Supreme Commander Sien Sovv held the rank of Fleet Admiral during his leadership of the Defense Force.

Behind the scenes
The rank of Fleet Admiral is introduced in The Imperial Sourcebook, but it is not clear whether it is to be understood as a formal rank, or a title denoting a certain sort of command: the other posts discussed in the same section include some that seem to be substantive ranks, most obviously Captain of the Line, but also others that are evidently positional titles, such as a ship's captain and an Admiral's adjutant. The example of Michael Unther, who was apparently a Fleet Admiral before achieving the substantive rank of Rear Admiral, adds weight to the hypothesis that "Fleet Admiral" was a title rather than a real rank; indeed, Unther's subsequent promotion to flag rank suggets that some Fleet Admirals were actually Line Captains or Commanders by rank.

A number of fan websites have speculated as to the rank insignia of Fleet Admirals, among which probably the most influential discussion is that at the Star Wars Technical Commentaries website (see here). More cautiously, it can be noted that the rank insignia worn by Admirals Ozzel and Piett as commanders of Death Squadron in The Empire Strikes Back are probably appropriate for a Fleet Admiral, with both men sharing the same insignia - six red squares over six blue, with two code cylinders on the left and one on the right; however, it is impossible to say whether this insignia was in any way specifically appropriate for a Fleet Admiral, or if it indicated some other substantive rank which both men held while commanding Death Squadron.

Appearances

 * Lando Calrissian and the Starcave of ThonBoka