{{For|the college football player and boxer|Russ Crane (American football)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}} {{Use Australian English|date=June 2011}} {{Infobox military person |name= Russ Crane |image= US Navy 101001-N-8273J-152 Vice Adm. Russ Crane, Chief of Navy of the Royal Australian Navy, center, and Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Gary (Crane cropped).jpg |image_size= |alt= |caption= Vice Admiral Crane in 2010 |nickname= |birth_date= {{birth date and age|1954|06|11|df=yes}} |birth_place= Southport, Queensland, Australia |death_date= |death_place= |burial_place= |allegiance= Australia |branch= Royal Australian Navy |service_years= 1970–2011 |rank= Vice Admiral |service_number= |unit= |commands= Chief of Navy (2008–11)<br />Deputy Chief of Navy (2006–08)<br />Joint Offshore Protection Command (2005–06)<br />{{HMAS|Success|OR 304|6}} (1998–00)<br />{{HMAS|Derwent|DE 49|6}} (1993–94)<br />{{HMAS|Curlew||6}} ({{circa}} 1983–85) |battles= International Force for East Timor |awards= Officer of the Order of Australia<br />Conspicuous Service Medal<br />Commander of the Legion of Merit (United States)<br />Meritorious Service Medal (Singapore)<br />Commander of the National Order of Merit (France) |relations= |other_work= }} Vice Admiral '''Russell Harry Crane''', {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|sep=,|AO|CSM}} (born 11 June 1954) is a retired senior officer of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), who served as the Chief of Navy from July 2008 until his retirement in June 2011.
== Early life == Crane was born in Southport, Queensland, on 11 June 1954 to Harry and Nina Crane.<ref name="Who">{{cite web|url=http://www.connectweb.com.au/view-biography.aspx?pid=15644&p=WWA|title=Vice Admiral Russell Harry Crane|accessdate=24 July 2014|work=Who's Who in Australia Online|publisher=ConnectWeb}}</ref> During his early teenage years, Crane was a cadet enlisted at the Naval Reserve Cadet unit "TS Tyalgum" at Main Beach on the Gold Coast.<ref>[http://www.defence.gov.au/news/navynews/editions/5118/5118.pdf Band of Brothers] Defence News, 2 October 2008</ref>
== Naval career == Crane began his naval career as a junior recruit at {{HMAS|Leeuwin|naval base|6}} in 1970.<ref name=CNbio>[http://www.navy.gov.au/w/index.php/Chief_of_Navy Chief of Navy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613224208/http://www.navy.gov.au/w/index.php/Chief_of_Navy |date=13 June 2011 }}, Official Navy bio</ref> Training as an Electrical Mechanic in aircraft communications, he was posted aboard the aircraft carrier {{HMAS|Melbourne|R21|6}} in 1971. Following selection for officer training in 1972, he began training as a Seaman Officer serving in numerous RAN establishments and ships, before receiving his commission.<ref>[http://www.defence.gov.au/leaders/navy/russellCrane/index.htm Russell Crane], Defence Leaders' bio</ref> He was appointed as Minehunting Control Officer in the minehunter {{HMAS|Curlew||6}}, in 1978 and promoted to lieutenant during the same year. In 1983 he was promoted to lieutenant commander and appointed in command of ''Curlew''. He was later appointed as the executive officer of the destroyer escort {{HMAS|Torrens|DE 53|6}},<ref name="CNbio" /> then in 1988, promoted to commander and posted to the Equipment Acquisition Division in Navy Office Canberra.
In 1993, Crane was posted as the commanding officer aboard {{HMAS|Derwent|DE 49|6}}, a destroyer escort based in Western Australia. He was promoted to captain in January 1996 and appointed as the Chief Staff Officer Command and Control, Communications and Intelligence in Maritime Headquarters. Captain Crane assumed command of {{HMAS|Success|AOR 304|6}} on 24 November 1998. During his period in command ''Success'' conducted a number of deployments to the South East Asia region including, in September and October 1999, Operation Stabilise in support of peacekeeping operations in East Timor.
Awarded the Conspicuous Service Medal in early 2000 for his time in command HMAS ''Success'',<ref name=CSM>[https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1137025 It's an honour – Conspicuous Service Medal – 12 June 2000]</ref> Crane was promoted to commodore in March 2000 and posted to Australian Defence Headquarters in Canberra as the Director General Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare. He was Commander Australian Navy Systems Command from October 2001 before being promoted to rear admiral on 1 May 2004 and assuming duties as Director General Coastwatch and the inaugural Commander of the newly formed Joint Offshore Protection Command in March 2005. Crane became the Deputy Chief of Navy in June 2006, and was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in June 2007.<ref name=AM>[https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1134811 It's an honour – Member of the Order of Australia – 11 June 2007]</ref>
Crane was promoted to vice admiral and succeeded Vice Admiral Russ Shalders as Chief of Navy on 4 July 2008.<ref>[http://raaf.gov.au/media/download/2008/Mar/20080319/index.htm New Defence leadership team announced] {{dead link|date=April 2011}}</ref> For his "distinguished service as Deputy Chief of Navy and as Chief of Navy", Crane was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2010 Australia Day Honours.<ref name=AO>{{cite web |url=http://www.gg.gov.au/res/File/PDFs/honours/ad10/Media%20Notes%20AO(Mil)%20(final).pdf |title=Officer (AO) in the Military Division of the Order of Australia |accessdate=26 January 2010 |work=Australia Day 2010 Honours List |publisher=The Australian Honours Secretariat |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110220104241/http://www.gg.gov.au/res/File/PDFs/honours/ad10/Media%20Notes%20AO(Mil)%20(final).pdf |archive-date=20 February 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In February 2011, the RAN under Crane was embroiled in controversy when the Australian Defence Force was left with a critically reduced amphibious capability.<ref>Mark Dodd [http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/talk-of-bungle-as-military-landing-craft-axed/story-fn59niix-1225998348684=true Talk of bungle as military landing craft axed], 2 Feb 2011, ''The Australian''</ref> Analysts claimed that a critical naval capability had been allowed to deteriorate to the point of failure.<ref>James Brown, [http://www.lowyinterpreter.org/post/2011/02/01/Defence-Bad-news-and-worse-news.aspx Defence: Bad news and worse news], 1 Feb 2011, ''The Interpreter'', www.lowyinterpreter.org</ref>
On 24 May 2011, Crane was conferred Singapore's Meritorious Service Medal by Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen at an investiture held at the Ministry of Defence.<ref>Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera), [http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/news_and_events/nr/2011/may/24may11_nr.html MINDEF: Australian Navy Chief Receives Prestigious Military Award], 24 May 2011, ''MINDEF Singapore'', http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/home.html</ref> Crane stood down as Chief of Navy and retired from the RAN on 7 June 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.defence.gov.au/media/DepartmentalTpl.cfm?CurrentId=11937|title=Navy welcomes new Chief|accessdate=7 June 2011|work=Media Release|publisher=Department of Defence}}</ref> For a number of personal reasons he specifically requested to retire on this date, nearly one month earlier than the intended 4 July Defence Chiefs change over, and five weeks prior to Crane's 41st anniversary of service with the RAN.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.minister.defence.gov.au/Smithtpl.cfm?CurrentId=11900|title=New Chiefs for the Australian Defence Force|accessdate=2 June 2011|publisher=Department of Defence|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110601173912/http://www.minister.defence.gov.au/Smithtpl.cfm?CurrentId=11900|archivedate=1 June 2011}}</ref> He was presented with the French National Order of Merit by Vice Admiral Stephane Verwaerde, Deputy Chief of the French Navy, on 17 May 2013.<ref name="ambafrance-au.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.ambafrance-au.org/Vice-Admiral-R-Crane-Commander-in |title=Vice Admiral R. Crane, Commander in the National order of Merit (17 May 2013) – La France en Australie |website=ambafrance-au.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202140834/http://www.ambafrance-au.org/Vice-Admiral-R-Crane-Commander-in |archive-date=2014-02-02}}</ref>
== Honours and awards == {{center |100x30px
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{| class="wikitable" |- style="background:Navy;color:White" align="center" |'''Ribbon'''||'''Description'''||'''Notes''' |-
|rowspan=2|100x20px || Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) || Awarded January 2010<ref name="AO" /> |- | Member of the Order of Australia (AM) || Awarded June 2007<ref name="AM" /> |- |100x20px || Conspicuous Service Medal (CSM) || Awarded June 2000<ref name="CSM" /> |- |100x20px || Australian Active Service Medal<ref name=photo>[http://www.defence.gov.au/leaders/navy/russellCrane/images/20080625ran8114832_001.jpg Official High Resolution Photo]</ref> || with "EAST TIMOR" clasp<ref name="photo" /> |- |100x20px || International Force East Timor Medal<ref name="photo" /> || |- |100x20px || Defence Force Service Medal with 5 clasps/Federation Star<ref name="photo" /> || 40–44 years service |- |100x20px || Australian Defence Medal<ref name="photo" /> || |- |100x20px || Commander of the Legion of Merit || (United States) |- |100x20px || Meritorious Service Medal || (Singapore) – 24 May 2011 |- |100x20px || Commander of the National Order of Merit || (France) – 17 May 2013<ref name="ambafrance-au.org" /> |}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == {{Commons category|Russ Crane}} *[http://www.defence.gov.au/leaders/navy/russellCrane/images/20080625ran8114832_001_lo.jpg Official photo] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20080403033424/http://www.defence.gov.au/copyright.cfm copyright]) *[http://www.defence.gov.au/leaders/navy/russellCrane/index.htm Defence Leaders page entry]
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{succession box | title=Chief of Navy | before=Vice Admiral Russ Shalders | after=Vice Admiral Ray Griggs | years=2008–2011 | }} {{succession box | title=Deputy Chief of Navy | before=Rear Admiral Max Hancock | after={{nowrap|Rear Admiral Davyd Thomas}} | years=2006–2008 | }} {{s-end}} {{Chief of Navy (Australia)}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crane, Russell}} Category:1954 births Category:Military personnel from Queensland Category:Australian military personnel of the International Force for East Timor Category:Chiefs of Navy (Australia) Category:Commanders of the Legion of Merit Category:Commanders of the Ordre national du Mérite Category:Deputy chiefs of Navy (Australia) Category:Living people Category:Officers of the Order of Australia Category:People from the Gold Coast, Queensland Category:Recipients of the Conspicuous Service Medal Category:Recipients of the Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera) Category:Royal Australian Navy admirals