Vice admiral

Vice admiral insignia
File:Ent vadm.png
Earth Starfleet pin insignia
File:Ent vadm-sleeve.png
Earth Starfleet sleeve insignia
File:Tos vadm.png
Starfleet, 2260s
File:Mov vadm.png
Starfleet pin insignia, 2280s until early 24th century
File:Mov vadm-sleeve.png
Starfleet sleeve insignia, 2280s
File:TngS1 vadm.png
Starfleet, until early 2360s
File:Tng vadm.png
Starfleet, 2365-present

Vice-admiral is a military rank, the equivalent of which is used by the service organizations of many civilizations. As a traditional grade, vice-admiral is a flag officer falling superior to a rear admiral and below a full admiral of a naval organization. This rank is used by the Federation Starfleet (as well as its predecessor the Earth Starfleet). Vice-admirals command entire fleets of vessels, divisions at Starfleet Headquarters, starbases and other senior positions in the fleet. In comparison to other ranking systems, this rank is equivalent to the army lieutenant general rank or (approximately) the Cardassian Union's quasi-military rank of legate.

In the Earth organization, vice-admirals (such as Maxwell Forrest) were denoted by three rank insignia enclosed in a rectangular frame, worn on both sides of a uniform jacket. These officers also had a series of rank stripes on their sleeve, a group of five stripes (four in a group, and one separate towards the cuff). (ENT: "Broken Bow")

In the subsequent Federation fleets, vice-admirals (like Fitzpatrick) were again denoted by sleeve stripes, this time signified by a similar insignia, one solid band (about three stripes wide) of braid, and two additional stripes separate, above and below. (TOS: "The Trouble with Tribbles")

By the Starfleet uniform design of the 2280s, all officers wore their insignia as a pin device attached to the shoulder on the jacket clasp. The vice-admiral pin was a small round field with four gold arrowheads arranged pointing towards a gold pip in the center, and was accompanied by an embroidered sleeve stripe. (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)

The rank insignia of the Star Trek Movies were created with detailed notes by Robert Fletcher.

24th century Starfleet ranks had vice-admirals (such as VADM Aaron) wear one triangular admiral braid on their shoulders, with two rank pips beneath it. (TNG: "Conspiracy")

Another redesign, in the 2360s, made vice-admirals (like VADM Nakamura) denoted by three gold rank pips surrounded by a rectangular frame. (TNG: "The Measure of a Man")

Starfleet Vice Admirals

• Vice Admiral Aaron
• Vice Admiral Kathryn Janeway
• Vice Admiral Matthew Dougherty
• Vice Admiral Fitzpatrick
• Vice Admiral Maxwell Forrest
• Vice Admiral Fujisaki
• Vice Admiral Gromek
• Vice Admiral Anthony Haftel
• Vice Admiral Thomas Henry
• Vice Admiral Leyton
• Vice Admiral Nakamura
• Vice Admiral Owen Paris
• Vice Admiral William Ross
• Vice Admiral Toddman

This chart shows only general equivalencies based on the ranks used by many governments on Earth, as well as the rest of the galaxy.