Once promoted to flag officer rank, he acted as Second-in-Command of the Fleet at the bombardment of Alexandria in July 1882 during the Anglo-Egyptian War.

He went on to be First Naval Lord in September 1891 but in that role took a relaxed view of the size of the Fleet and did not see the need for a large shipbuilding effort on the scale envisaged by some of his colleagues, such as Admiral Sir Frederick Richards and Admiral Sir John Fisher who were concerned about French and German naval expansion.

[4] Promoted to rear admiral on 15 June 1879,[5] Hoskins became Junior Naval Lord in May 1880 but was despatched to the Mediterranean in 1882 where he acted as Second-in-Command of the Fleet at the bombardment of Alexandria in July 1882 during the Anglo-Egyptian War.

[1] Having been advanced to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 17 November 1882,[6] Hoskins became Admiral Superintendent of Naval Reserves later that month.

[7] Promoted to vice admiral on 1 June 1885,[8] Hoskins went on to be Second Naval Lord in July 1885 and Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean Fleet, hoisting his flag in the battleship HMS Camperdown, in March 1889.