42 Navy chiefs of staff

The Albanian Commander of the Naval Force is the leader of the country's navy. The Commander of the Naval Force is appointed by the President of Albania and serves under the Minister of Defence.

This article lists the chiefs of the General Staff of the Argentine Navy and their preceding offices, between 1958 and the present day. The Argentine Navy is the naval force of Argentina.

The Chief of Navy is the most senior appointment in the Royal Australian Navy, responsible to the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) and the Secretary of Defence. The rank associated with the position is vice admiral (3-star).

The Commander of the Azerbaijani Navy is the head of the Naval operations and the administrative head in the Azerbaijani Navy, and is under the Chief of the General Staff and the Minister of Defence. The current Commander of the Navy is Rear Admiral Subhan Bekirov.

The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) is the commander and usually the highest-ranking officer of the Bangladesh Navy. The position is abbreviated as CNS in Bangladesh Navy, and currently held by an Admiral. The current CNS is Admiral M Shaheen Iqbal, who took office on 25 July 2020.

The Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy is the institutional head of the Royal Canadian Navy. This appointment also includes the title Chief of the Naval Staff and is based at National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa, Ontario. This individual reports to the Chief of the Defence Staff, who then responds to the Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces.

The Chief of the Naval Staff is the professional head of the Swedish Naval Staff. The post was created in 1907 with rear admiral Theodor Sandström as the first incumbent. The post disappeared in 1994 and was reintroduced in 2019 when the new Naval Staff was established.

The Chief of the Navy is the head of the Naval operations and the administrative head in the Somali Navy, and is under the Chief of Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence (Somalia). The current Chief of the Navy is Rear Admiral Abaas Amiin Ali.

This article lists the commanders-in-chief of the Chilean Navy. The Chilean Navy is the naval force of Chile. The Chilean Navy dates back to 1817.

The Commander of the Croatian Navy is the official head of the Croatian Navy. Ivo Raffanelli is the current commander and was appointed in 2018.

The Chief of the Royal Danish Navy is the professional head of the Royal Danish Navy. The current Chief of the Naval Command is Rear admiral Torben Mikkelsen.

The Chief of Staff of the French Navy is the head of the French Navy and is responsible to the Minister of the Armed Forces in relation to preparation and deployment. They are a subordinate of the Chief of the Defense Staff and their deputy is the Major General of the Navy. Since the 1950s, the office has been held only by five-star admirals (OF-9). The current Chief is Amiral Pierre Vandier since 1 September 2020.

The Inspector of the Navy is the commander of the Navy of the modern-day German Armed Forces, the Bundeswehr. Since the various bodies responsible for the high command of the German Navy were merged in 2012, the Inspector has been based at the Navy Command at Rostock. Before then, the Inspector was head of the Naval Staff of the Ministry of Defence, based in Bonn. Both the Inspector and his deputy hold the rank of vice admiral.

The Oberkommando der Marine (OKM), translated as High Command of the Navy or Upper Command of the Navy, was the high command and the highest administrative and command authority of the Kriegsmarine. It was officially formed from the Marineleitung of the Reichswehr on 11 January 1936. In 1937 it was combined with the newly formed Seekriegsleitung (SKL). There were two major re-organisations, in November 1939 and May 1944.

The head of the Ghana Navy is known by the official title of Chief of Naval Staff in the Ghana Armed Forces. The list of former heads lies below. The current Chief of Naval Staff is Rear Admiral Issah Yakubu.

The Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff is the head of the Hellenic Navy General Staff and commander of the Hellenic Navy. The position is customarily held by a three-star flag officer. As part of Greece's membership in NATO, from 1967 until 1999 the Chief of the HNGS was also commander of NATO's COMEDEAST.

The Chief of the Naval Staff is the head of the military staff of the Indian Navy. The Chief of the Naval Staff is the highest ranking naval officer on active service of the Indian Armed Forces unless the Chief of Defence is a navy officer. The Chief of Naval Staff is the primary adviser to the Government of India on naval affairs. The Chief is responsible for governing and directing the naval staff, the supreme decision making body consisting of the highest ranking naval officers of the Indian Navy, who is the navy's chief executive and the chief naval advisor to the Chief of Defence Staff. The position is abbreviated CNS in Indian Navy cables and communication, and is always held by a full Admiral since 1966. The Chief of the Naval Staff is assisted by the Vice Chief of the navy staff.

The Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy is the highest position in the Indonesian Navy. The position is held by the four-star Admiral or Marine General, appointed by and reporting directly to the Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces. Chief of Staff is assisted by Vice Chief of Staff of the Indonesian Navy, position is held by three-star Admiral or Marine General.

The Commander of the Iranian Navy is the highest-ranking position of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy, and has operational control and is responsible for overall operations of the navy. The current commander is Shahram Irani.

The Commander of the Israeli Navy is the head and highest-ranking officer of the Israeli Navy, and has operational control and is responsible for overall operations of the navy. The current Commander Eli Sharvit.

The Chief of Staff of the Italian Navy is the commander of the Italian Navy

The Imperial Japanese Navy General Staff was the highest organ within the Imperial Japanese Navy. In charge of planning and operations, it was headed by an Admiral headquartered in Tokyo.

The Chief of Naval Operations of the Republic of Korea Navy is the head of the Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN). The post was established following the induction of Joseon Coastal Guards into the Republic of Korea Armed Forces and the subsequent renaming of the organization as the Republic of Korea Navy in 1948. Originally held by a vice admiral, the post of CNO has been held by an admiral since 1968.

The Commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy (CZsk) is the highest-ranking officer of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The CZsk reports directly to the Chief of the Netherlands Defence Staff.

Chief of Navy (CN) commands the Royal New Zealand Navy (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, and CNs are generally appointed on a three-year term.

The Chief of Naval Staff is the highest ranking military officer of the Nigerian Navy. The position is often occupied by the most senior commissioned officer appointed by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.The Chief of Naval Staff reports to the Chief of Defence Staff, who also reports to the Defence Minister. The Statutory duty of the Officer is to formulate and execute policies towards the highest attainment of National Security and operational competence of the Nigerian Navy.

The Chief of the Navy is the Commander–in–chief of the Royal Norwegian Navy.

The Chief of the Naval Staff, is a military appointment and a Statutory office held by a four-star admiral in the Pakistan Navy, who is nominated and appointed by the Prime Minister of Pakistan and confirmed by the President of Pakistan.

The Flag Officer-in-Command (FOIC) is the overall commander and senior admiral of the Philippine Navy, the naval warfare branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is normally held by a three-star rank of Vice Admiral. He has operational control and is responsible for overall operations of the service, including the Philippine Marine Corps, and the Philippine Coast Guard and directly reports to the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The Chief of Staff of the Portuguese Navy is the head of the Portuguese Navy and of the Maritime Authority System. The CEMA depends on the Minister of National Defense in terms of resources, and on the Army Chief of Staff for preparation and deployment. The current Chief is Admiral António Maria Mendes Calado since 1 March 2018.

The Commander of the Romanian Navy is the chief commanding authority of the Romanian Navy. The position dates to the period of the United Principalities. The current Commander of the Romanian Navy, since 1 July 2020, is Mihai Panait.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy is the chief commanding authority of the Russian Navy. He is appointed by the President of Russia. The position dates to the period of the Russian Empire. The current Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy is Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov.

The Chief of Navy is the head of the Republic of Singapore Navy. The current chief is Aaron Beng, who was appointed on 23 March 2020.

The Chief of Staff of the Navy or Admiral Chief of Staff of the Navy (AJEMA) is the highest-ranking military officer of the Spanish Navy that, under the authority of the Defence Minister, exercises command over the naval branch and, as such, is the principal military advisor to the Chief of the Defence Staff, the Minister of Defence, the Secretary of State for Defence, the Under-Secretary of Defence and the National Defence Council.

The Commander of the Navy is the professional head of the Sri Lanka Navy. The current Commander of the Navy is Vice Admiral Nishantha Ulugetenne. It is a position equivalent to that of First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy or Chief of Naval Operations in the United States Navy.

Chief of Navy is the most senior appointment in the Swedish Navy. The position Chief of Navy was introduced in 1936 and the current form in 2014.

The Commander of the Navy is the highest-ranking military officer and commander of the Republic of China Navy in Taiwan. The current Commander is Admiral Liu Chih-pin.

This list includes commanders of the Turkish Naval Forces, who were, in their time of service, nominal heads of the Turkish Naval Forces.

The Commander of the Ukrainian Navy is the professional head of the Ukrainian Navy.

The First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff (1SL/CNS) is the professional head of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy and Naval Service. Admiral Tony Radakin was appointed First Sea Lord in June 2019.

The chief of naval operations (CNO) is the professional head of the United States Navy. The position is a statutory office held by an admiral who is a military adviser and deputy to the secretary of the Navy. In a separate capacity as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the CNO is a military adviser to the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council, the secretary of defense, and the president. The current chief of naval operations is Admiral Michael M. Gilday.

The Commander of the Yugoslav Navy was the highest ranking officer and official head of the Royal Yugoslav Navy and its successor.