Naval rank comparisons can mislead when they ignore the power concentrated in a few ships. Task groups are often commanded by rear admirals and task forces by vice admirals, roughly paralleling divisional and corps-level authority. The example formation contains the equivalent of several artillery and air-defence batteries, a helicopter wing, and roughly half a brigade of troops. The British kept this particular group under a one-star commodore. Command rank follows operational responsibility and concentrated firepower more closely than ship count alone.
Notable Point · 21:21-21:58
Task-group command rank reflects concentrated naval firepower
Rear admirals and vice admirals may command forces that look smaller than army equivalents because even one naval group concentrates artillery, air defence, aviation, and troops.