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Chief of Navy (CN)

The Chief of Navy (CN) commands the RAN and therefore commands all of its uniformed people, regardless of where they work in the Australian Defence Organisation (ADO). CN is responsible to the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) and the Secretary of the Department of Defence for:

• providing maritime forces that; contribute to the ADF's capability to ensure the defence of Australia and its direct approaches, contribute to the security of Australia's immediate neighbourhood, and support Australia's wider interests.
• raising, training and sustaining naval forces by proper stewardship of human, financial and environmental resources;
• providing timely, accurate and considered advice to the government on strategic direction and military capability of the current force and future force;
• contributing to ADO and government security by supporting strategies to raise security awareness, establish a strong security culture and improve security management; and
• effective risk management and accountability within the Defence governance framework.

CN is also the ADO's principal naval adviser on strategic affairs. CN has a responsibility to provide advice to CDF on current capability, military affairs and future capability development. CN represents the RAN on higher ADO committees including the Defence Committee and the Chiefs of Service Committee.

CN is responsible and accountable to the CDF for command, leadership and the capability output of the RAN, which includes operational performance and whole-of-life management of all Force Element Groups (FEGs). CN is accountable to the Secretary for RAN financial management and for the management of the Navy's civilian staff. In discharging these responsibilities and accountabilities to CDF and the Secretary, CN also meets many responsibilities and accountabilities to government through the Minister for Defence, the Minister Assisting and the Parliamentary Secretary, as well as various House, Senate and Joint Committees. CN is the principal advisor to government on naval matters and issues or events relating to the command of the RAN. CN is accountable for the accuracy, timeliness and quality of advice provided by Navy to Ministers and government. CN may, therefore, be supported by subordinates in Parliamentary Committees and in the provision of formal advice.

The CN personally appoints each Commanding Officer of RAN ships and units, at sea and ashore. The vital command responsibilities of preparedness and human resource management remain common to both forms of command and are a key part of the RAN's command and control. Command at sea, which includes helicopter squadron and CDT command, represents the most significant early test for naval officers who aspire to command at every level. It is a valuable and effective test, which assists in identifying those who have potential to achieve command success in higher level positions.

Many of CN's responsibilities are delegated to others within the RAN. CN has three principal subordinates: the Deputy Chief of Navy (DCN), the Maritime Commander (MC), and the Commander Australian Navy Systems Command (CANSC).

Deputy Chief of Navy

The DCN is the day-to-day capability manager of the RAN and the manager of Navy Headquarters (NHQ). DCN is responsible for the structures and processes for decision making that enable the alignment of accountability, responsibility and performance management within the RAN. FEG Commanders are responsive to DCN in his role as the day-to-day capability manager of the RAN. DCN is also responsible for clearing of formal advice to Ministers and government on day-to-day issues affecting the RAN.

RAN: Structure

Of the three services, the Navy's structure is the most flexible and indefinite. The Navy can be roughly divided into ships and shore establishments, a shore establishment being a naval base on land. Apart from the obvious material differences, however, there is little difference between the two. A naval shore establishment is commissioned just like a sea-going vessel and, just like a sea-going vessel, is known as Her (or His) Majesty's Australian Ship. Although they have different jobs to do, the personnel at a naval base are also organised in a similar manner to those aboard ships, having daymen, watchkeepers and duty watches.

Flotilla - A flotilla is composed of two or more ships: these can be destroyers, submarines, mine-sweepers, corvettes or light patrol craft. In the case of destroyers, a flotilla has a rigid structure. There are nine vessels in the flotilla, which are divided into two divisions of four, with another vessel leading. The divisions are further divided into two sub-divisions of two vessels. There is no fixed organisation for flotillas of the smaller vessels. In the case of three or more vessels, they can also be divided into divisions and sub-divisions. A flotilla is usually commanded by a captain, and a division by a commander. Destroyers and submarines are usually commanded by a lieutenant commander, and smaller vessels by lieutenants.

Squadron - A naval squadron is composed of two or more capital ships. Capital ships are large powerful vessels - battleships, cruisers or aircraft carriers - usually commanded by a captain. Squadrons of more than three ships are generally organised into smaller units known as divisions and sub-divisions. A squadron can be commanded, depending upon its size, by a commodore, rear admiral or vice-admiral.

Task Force/Group - A task force, or task group, is a number of ships grouped to carry out a specific task such as the escort of a convoy or the protection of an aircraft carrier. There is no set structure for a task force and the number and type of vessels allocated depends upon the tasks the group is expected to carry out. A task force is usually identified by a number. Task Force 44, which served in the Pacific during the Second World War, consisted of the Australian cruisers HMAS Australia, Canberra, Hobart, and two United States Navy ships, the destroyer USS Perkins and the cruiser USS Chicago. During 1991, the RAN task force sent to enforce the naval blockade of Iraq, known as Task Group 627.4, consisted of the guided-missile frigates HMAS Darwin and Adelaide and the supply ship HMAS Success. A task force is usually commanded by a commodore or a rear admiral.

Amphibious Force - An amphibious force consists of a number of vessels grouped together to land an army from the sea on enemy territory. It has no fixed composition and usually consists of transport ships, landing ships and landing craft, as well as a variety of armed ships tasked with the protection of the landing from enemy sea or air attacks, and the bombardment of enemy positions ashore. An amphibious force also includes small units of specialists to survey beaches and select feasible landing spots, and to control and guide the landing.

Fleet - A fleet is the largest naval structure and would usually contain a number of squadrons, flotillas and/or task forces. Again, its structure is flexible. Often a fleet is organised to work in a specific geographic area, such as the British Pacific Fleet during the Second World War. The RAN has never had enough ships to form more than one fleet, so the fleet, in terms of the RAN, equates with the entire sea-going navy. The United States Navy, however, has many fleets. A fleet is commanded by an admiral.