THE Royal Navy has just one full admiral left — and is on course to have none for the first time.
Admiral Sir Keith Blount is the only officer to hold the elevated rank and he is due to step down next year.
Admirals have been in England since around 1297, predating the Royal Navy.
It is the most senior rank in the modern force, with 38 during World War Two.
But an admiral no longer leads the Navy, with Royal Marine commando General Sir Gwyn Jenkins taking over last year.
Admiral Blount is in Brussels as Nato’s Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe — outside the Navy’s chain of command.
A source said: “A Navy without any admirals would be extraordinary.”
At the start of the year there were three, including the Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin and the former First Sea Lord Admiral Ben Key.
The Royal Navy is at its smallest size in centuries.
An MoD source insisted the Navy is “in excellent hands”.
They said there were numerous times in the past 20 years it only had one full admiral, as First Sea Lord.
Royal NavyAdmiral Sir Keith Blount is the only officer to hold the elevated rank and he is due to step down next year[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
