Vice Admiral Vice Admiral is a naval rank equivalent to Lieutenant General in seniority . A Vice Admiral is typically senior to a Rear Admiral and junior to an Admiral . In many navies , Vice Admiral is a three star rank with a NATO Code of OF - 8 , although in some navies like the French Navy it is an OF - 7 rank , the OF - 8 code corresponding to the four star rank of Squadron Vice - Admiral . Rank Insignia . The rank insignia for a Vice Admiral usually involves three stars , but this is not always the case . In the navy of Iraq , Vice Admiral insignia involves one star . In the navies of Azerbaijan , Bangladesh , China , Cuba , Iran , Mexico , North Korea , and Russia , Vice Admiral insignia involves two stars , and in the navy of Turkey , Vice Admiral insignia involves four stars . Australia . In the Royal Australian Navy , the rank of Vice Admiral is held by the Chief of Navy ( currently VADM Russell Crane ) and , when the positions are held by navy officers , by the Vice Chief of the Defence Force , the Chief of Joint Operations , and / or the Chief of the Capability Development Executive ( currently VADM Matt Tripovich ) . Vice Admiral is the equivalent of Air Marshal in the Royal Australian Air Force and Lieutenant General in the Australian Army . Canada . In the Canadian Navy , the rank of Vice - Admiral ( VAdm ) ( " Vice - amiral " or " Vam " in French ) is equivalent to Lieutenant - General of the Canadian Army and Canadian Air Force . A Vice - Admiral is a Flag Officer , the naval equivalent of a General Officer . A Vice - Admiral is senior to a Rear - Admiral and Major General , and junior to an Admiral and General . The rank insignia of a Canadian Vice - Admiral are : < br > On the visor of the service cap are two rows of gold oak leaves . < br > On service dress jacket shoulder straps , on slip - ons and on gold shoulder boards , vice - admirals wear three gold maple leaves , beneath crossed sword and baton , all surmounted by a St . Edward ' s Crown . < br > a ) From 1968 to June 2010 , the service dress jacket also featured a wide strip of gold braid around the cuff . b ) Since June 2010 , with the return of the executive curl on service uniforms ( and not just on mess uniforms ) , the cuff insignia is one large gold braid below two standard size gold braids , the superior one includes the executive curl . Vice - Admirals are addressed by rank and name ; thereafter by subordinates as " Sir " or " Ma ' am " . Vice - Admirals are normally entitled to a staff car ; the car will normally bear a flag , dark blue with three gold maple leaves arranged one over two . A Vice - Admiral generally holds only the most senior command or administrative appointments , barring only Chief of Defence Staff , which is held by a full Admiral or General . Appointments held by Vice - Admirals may include : Positions held by Vice - Admirals include : France . In France , " vice - amiral " is the most senior of the ranks in the French Navy ; higher ranks , " vice - amiral d ' escadre " and " amiral " , are permanent functions , style and position ( in French " rang et appellation " ) given to a " vice - amiral " - ranking officer . The " vice - amiral " rank used to be an OF - 8 rank in NATO charts , but nowadays , it is more an OF - 7 rank . The rank of " vice - amiral d ' escadre " ( literally , " Squadron Vice - Admiral " , with more precision , " Fleet Vice - Admiral " ) equals a NATO OF - 8 rank . Italy . In Italy , the equivalent to Vice Admiral is the " Ammiraglio di Squadra " . Philippines . In Philippines , the rank Vice Admiral is the highest - ranking official of the Philippine Navy . He is recognized as the Flag Officer in - charge of the Navy . The rank Vice - Admiral in the Philippines , has the same ranking in the U . S Navy . United Kingdom . In the Royal Navy the rank of Vice - Admiral should be distinguished from the office of " Vice - Admiral of the United Kingdom " , which is an Admiralty position usually held by a retired " full " Admiral , and that of " Vice - Admiral of the Coast " , a now obsolete office dealing with naval administration in each of the maritime counties . Vietnam . In Vietnam , the equivalent to Vice Admiral is the " Phó Đô Đốc " .