Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some
navies
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includ ...
. In the
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
nations and the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full"
general
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
in the army or the air force, and is above
vice admiral and below
admiral of the fleet, or fleet admiral.
Etymology
The word in
Middle English
Middle English (abbreviated to ME) is a form of the English language that was spoken after the Norman conquest of 1066, until the late 15th century. The English language underwent distinct variations and developments following the Old English p ...
comes from
Anglo-French , "commander", from
Medieval Latin
Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. In this region it served as the primary written language, though local languages were also written to varying degrees. Latin functioned ...
, . These evolved from the
Arabic
Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...
() – (), “
king
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
,
prince
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
, chief, leader,
nobleman,
lord
Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or ar ...
, a
governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
,
commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain.
...
, or person who rules over a number of people,” and (), the Arabic article answering to “the.” In Arabic, admiral is also represented as (), where () means the
sea
The sea, connected as the world ocean or simply the ocean, is the body of salty water that covers approximately 71% of the Earth's surface. The word sea is also used to denote second-order sections of the sea, such as the Mediterranean Sea, ...
.
The 1818 edition of
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson (18 September 1709 – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. The ''Oxford ...
's ''
A Dictionary of the English Language
''A Dictionary of the English Language'', sometimes published as ''Johnson's Dictionary'', was published on 15 April 1755 and written by Samuel Johnson. It is among the most influential dictionaries in the history of the English language.
T ...
'', edited and revised by the Rev.
Henry John Todd
Henry John Todd (1763–1845) was an English Anglican cleric, librarian, and scholar, known as an editor of John Milton.
He was librarian at Lambeth Palace (1803), and examined and described manuscripts, chiefly biblical, which formerly belonge ...
, states that the term “has been traced to the Arab. emir or amir, lord or commander, and the
Gr. , the sea, q. d. ''prince of the sea''. The word is written both with and without the d, in other languages, as well as our own. Barb. Lat. admirallus and amiralius. V. Ducange. Barb. Græc. ἄμηρχλιος. V. Meursii Gloss. Græco-Barbarum, edit. 1610. p. 29. Fr. admiral and amiral. Dan. the same. Germ. ammiral. Dutch, admirael or ammirael. Ital. ammiraglio. Sp. almirante. Minsheu, in his Spanish Dictionary, says ‘almiralle is a king in the Arabian language.’ Amrayl is used by Robert of Gloucester, in the sense of a prince, or governour.”
The quote from
John Minsheu’s Dictionarie in Spanish and English (1599), given in Johnson’s Dictionary, has been confirmed as being accurate. Additionally, the definition of Amīr (أمير), as given in
Edward William Lane's
Arabic-English Lexicon, concurs, in part, with Minsheu's definition, stating that the term means “One having, holding, or possessing, command; a commander; a governor; a lord; a prince, or king.”
While other Greek words of the period existed to indicate “belonging to the sea,” or “of the sea,” the now obsolete Gr. mentioned in Johnson's Dictionary is expressly defined as "of the sea, Lat. marinus, epith. of
sea-gods,
nymph
A nymph ( grc, νύμφη, nýmphē, el, script=Latn, nímfi, label=Modern Greek; , ) in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are ty ...
s, etc."
Though there are multiple meanings for the Arabic Amīr (أمير), the literal meaning of the phrase Amīr al-Baḥr (أمير البحر) is “Prince of the Sea.” This position, versus “commander of the sea,” is demonstrated by legal practices prevailing in the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
, whereas it was only possible for
Phanariots to qualify for attaining four princely positions, those being
grand dragoman
The Dragoman of the Sublime Porte ( Ottoman Turkish: ; el, έγαςδιερμηνέας της Υψηλής Πύλης), Dragoman of the Imperial Council (''tercümân-ı dîvân-ı hümâyûn''), or simply Grand or Chief Dragoman (''tercümân ...
,
dragoman of the fleet, and the
voivode
Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the me ...
es of
Moldavia
Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...
and
Wallachia
Wallachia or Walachia (; ro, Țara Românească, lit=The Romanian Land' or 'The Romanian Country, ; archaic: ', Romanian Cyrillic alphabet: ) is a historical and geographical region of Romania. It is situated north of the Lower Danube and so ...
. Those Phanariots who attained the princely position of dragoman of the fleet served under the Ottoman admiral having administration of the
Aegean islands and the Anatolian coast.
Modern acknowledgement of the phrase Amīr al-Baḥr (أمير البحر) meaning “Prince of the Sea” includes a speech made in an official
U.S. military
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
ceremony conducted in an Arabic port, and a news article published by an Arabic news outlet: On 24 May 2012, in a
change of command ceremony aboard
aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a ...
USS Enterprise (CVN 65)
USS ''Enterprise'' (CVN-65), formerly CVA(N)-65, is a decommissioned United States Navy aircraft carrier. She was the first Nuclear marine propulsion, nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the eighth United States naval vessel to bear List of s ...
, while docked at Khalifa Bin Salman Port,
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
,
U.S. Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through comb ...
Gen.
James Mattis
James Norman Mattis (born September 8, 1950) is a retired United States Marine Corps four-star general who served as the 26th US secretary of defense from 2017 to 2019. During his 44 years in the Marine Corps, he commanded forces in the Persian ...
, Commander,
U.S. Central Command
The United States Central Command (USCENTCOM or CENTCOM) is one of the eleven unified combatant commands of the U.S. Department of Defense. It was established in 1983, taking over the previous responsibilities of the Rapid Deployment Joint Tas ...
, introduced
Vice Admiral Mark I. Fox
Mark Irby "MRT" Fox (born March 1, 1956) is a retired United States Navy vice admiral who served as the Deputy Commander of United States Central Command (CENTCOM). Prior to assuming his duties at CENTCOM, he served as Deputy Chief of Naval Opera ...
as “Admiral Fox, the prince of the sea, emir of the sea – to translate ‘admiral’ from the Arabic to English;” On 04 Feb 2021, in an announcement of his
coronavirus
Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, they cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the com ...
-related death, the Arabic news website Saudi 24 News referred to Admiral Edmond Chagoury by the title “Prince of the Sea.”
An alternate etymology proposes that the term admiral evolved, instead, from the title of
Amīr al-Umarāʾ (أمير الأمراء). Under the reign of the
Buyid dynasty
The Buyid dynasty ( fa, آل بویه, Āl-e Būya), also spelled Buwayhid ( ar, البويهية, Al-Buwayhiyyah), was a Shia Iranian dynasty of Daylamite origin, which mainly ruled over Iraq and central and southern Iran from 934 to 1062. Coupl ...
(934 to 1062) of
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
and
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, the title of Amīr al-Umarāʾ, which means prince of princes,
came to denote the
heir-apparent
An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...
, or
crown prince
A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...
.
This alternate etymology states that the term was in use for the
Greco-Arab naval leaders of
Norman Sicily
Norman or Normans may refer to:
Ethnic and cultural identity
* The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norm ...
, which had formerly been ruled by Arabs, at least by the early 11th century. During this time, the Norman
Roger II of Sicily
Roger II ( it, Ruggero II; 22 December 1095 – 26 February 1154) was King of Sicily and Africa, son of Roger I of Sicily
Roger I ( it, Ruggero I, Arabic: ''رُجار'', ''Rujār''; Maltese: ''Ruġġieru'', – 22 June 1101), nicknamed Rog ...
(1095–1154) employed a Greek Christian, known as
George of Antioch
George of Antioch ( gr, Γεώργιος Ἀντιοχείας, died 1151 or 1152) was the first to hold the office of '' ammiratus ammiratorum'' (emir of emirs) in the Norman Kingdom of Sicily. He was a Syrian-born Byzantine Christian of Gree ...
, who previously had served as a naval commander for several North African Muslim rulers. Roger styled George in
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate ( or ; ar, الْخِلَافَةُ الْعَبَّاسِيَّة, ') was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet Muhammad. It was founded by a dynasty descended from Muhammad's uncle, Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib ...
fashion as , or Amīr al-Umarāʾ, with the title becoming Latinized in the 13th century as .
The
Sicilians
Sicilians or the Sicilian people are a Romance speaking people who are indigenous to the island of Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, as well as the largest and most populous of the autonomous regions of Italy.
Origin and i ...
and later
Genoese took the first two parts of the term and used them as one word, , from their
Aragon
Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to sou ...
opponents. The
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
and
Spanish gave their sea commanders similar titles while in
Portuguese the word changed to . As the word was used by people speaking
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
or Latin-based languages it gained the "d" and endured a series of different endings and spellings leading to the English spelling in the 14th century and to ''admiral'' by the 16th century.
Further history
The word "admiral" has come to be almost exclusively associated with the highest
naval rank
Military ranks are a system of hierarchical relationships, within armed forces, police, intelligence agencies or other institutions organized along military lines. The military rank system defines dominance, authority, and responsibility in a ...
in most of the world's
navies
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includ ...
, equivalent to the army rank of
general
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
. However, this was not always the case; for example, in some European countries prior to the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, admiral was the third highest naval rank after
general admiral and
grand admiral.
The rank of admiral has also been subdivided into various grades, several of which are historically extinct while others remain in use in most present-day navies. The
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
used the colours red, white, and blue, in descending order to indicate
seniority of its admirals until 1864; for example,
Horatio Nelson
Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought abo ...
's highest rank was vice-admiral of the white. The generic term for these naval equivalents of army generals is
flag officer. Some navies have also used army-type titles for them, such as the
Cromwellian
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...
"general at sea".
NATO code
While the rank of admiral is used in most of NATO countries, it is ranked differently depending on the country.
Admiral insignia by country
File:Generic-Navy-12.svg,
Albanian Navy
The Albanian Naval Force ( sq, Forca Detare të Republikës së Shqipërisë) is the naval branch of the Albanian military. Their name was changed from the Albanian Naval Defense Forces in 2010. The Naval Force is headquartered in Durrës, and o ...
File:Generic-Navy-12.svg,
Argentine Navy
The Argentine Navy (ARA; es, Armada de la República Argentina). This forms the basis for the navy's ship prefix "ARA". is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the ...
File:Generic-Navy-12.svg, Admiral
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
File:Azerbaijan-Navy-OF-8.svg,
Azerbaijani Navy
The Azerbaijan Navy ( az, Azərbaycan Hərbi Dəniz Qüvvələri) is the naval component of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces operating in the Caspian Sea.
History
The inception of Azerbaijani Naval Forces dates back to August 5, 1919, when the gove ...
File:Generic-Navy-12.svg, Admiral
Bangladesh Navy
The Bangladesh Navy ( bn, বাংলাদেশ নৌবাহিনী, Bangladesh Nou Bahini) is the naval warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, responsible for Bangladesh's of maritime territorial area, and the defence of imp ...
File:Generic-Navy-12.svg,
Belgian Navy
The Belgian Navy, officially the Belgian Naval Component ( nl, Marinecomponent; french: Composante marine; german: Marinekomponente ) of the Belgian Armed Forces, is the naval service of Belgium.
History Early history
The Belgian Navy wa ...
File:Generic-Navy-(star)-O11.svg,
Bolivian Naval Force
The Bolivian Navy ( es, Armada Boliviana) is a branch of the Armed Forces of Bolivia. As of 2008, the Bolivian Navy had approximately 5,000 personnel. Although Bolivia has been landlocked since the War of the Pacific and its 1904 peace treaty, Bo ...
File:Generic-Navy-13.svg,
Brazilian Navy
)
, colors= Blue and white
, colors_label= Colors
, march= "Cisne Branco" ( en, "White Swan") (same name as training ship ''Cisne Branco''
, mascot=
, equipment= 1 multipurpose aircraft carrier7 submarines6 frigates2 corvettes4 amphibious warf ...
File:Bulgaria-Navy-OF-9 sleeve.svg,
Bulgarian Navy
File:Generic-Navy-12.svg, Admiral
Royal Canadian Navy
The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack s ...
File:Generic-Navy-(star)-O11.svg,
Chilean Navy
File:Generic-Navy-12.svg,
Colombian Navy
File:18.DRCN-VADM.svg,
Navy of DR of Congo
File:Croatia-Navy-OF-9.svg,
Croatian Navy
, image = Seal of Croatian Navy.png
, caption = Emblem of the Croatian Navy
, start_date = 1991
, country =
, allegiance =
, branch =
, type = Navy
, role =
, size = 1,36330 vessels
, command_structure = Armed Forces of Croatia
, gar ...
File:Cuba-Navy-OF-8.svg,
Cuban Revolutionary Navy
The Cuban Revolutionary Navy ( es, Marina de Guerra Revolucionaria) is the navy of Cuba.
History
The Constitutional Navy of Cuba was the navy of Cuba that existed prior to 1959. During World War II, it sank the German submarine ''U-176'' on 15 ...
File:Generic-Navy-12.svg,
Royal Danish Navy
File:Generic-Navy-(star)-O11.svg,
Dominican Navy
The Navy of the Dominican Republic ( es, Armada de Republica Dominicana (ARD)), is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Dominican Republic, together with the Army and the Air Force.
History
After the Dominican Republic gained i ...
File:Ecuador-Navy-OF-9.svg,
Ecuadorian Navy
The Ecuadorian Navy ( es, Armada del Ecuador) is an Ecuadorian entity responsible for the surveillance and protection of national maritime territory and has a personnel of 9,127 men to protect a coastline of 2,237 km which reaches far into t ...
File:Generic-Navy-12.svg,
Estonian Navy
The Estonian Navy ( et, Merevägi) are the unified naval forces among the Estonian Defence Forces.
With only six commissioned ships and displacement well under 10,000 tonnes, the Estonian navy is one of the smallest navies in the world. Its shi ...
File:Finland-Navy-OF-9.svg,
)
Finnish Navy
The Finnish Navy ( fi, Merivoimat, sv, Marinen) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. The navy employs 2,300 people and about 4,300 conscripts are trained each year. Finnish Navy vessels are given the ship prefix "FNS", short for ...
File:France-Navy-OF-9 Sleeve.svg,
French Navy
The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...
File:23.GN-ADM.svg,
Gabonese Navy
File:Generic-Navy-(star)-O11.svg,
German Navy
File:Generic-Navy-12.svg, Admiral
Ghana Navy
File:Generic-Navy-12.svg, Admiral
Indian Navy
The Indian Navy is the maritime branch of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Navy. The Chief of Naval Staff, a four-star admiral, commands the navy. As a blue-water navy, it operates sig ...
File:Rank insignia of ammiraglio of the Italian Navy.svg,
Italian Navy
"Fatherland and Honour"
, patron =
, colors =
, colors_label =
, march = ( is the return of soldiers to their barrack, or sailors to their ship after a ...
File:Ivory Coast-Navy-OF-9.svg,
Navy of Ivory Coast
File:Russia-Navy-OF-8-Sleeve.svg,
Kazakh Naval Forces
russian: Военно-морские силы Республики Казахстан
, image =File:Emblem-vmsrk.svg
, caption = Kazakh naval emblem
, start_date =
, country =
, allegiance =
, branch = Armed Forces of the Republic of Kaza ...
File:19. Madagascar Navy - ADM.svg,
Madagascar Navy
File:Generic-Navy-12.svg,
Mexican Navy
File:Montenegro-Navy-OF-9.svg,
Montenegrin Navy
The Montenegrin Navy ( Montenegrin: ''Mornarica Vojske Crne Gore'') is the naval branch of the military of Montenegro.
The Montenegrin Navy was established in 2006 following the secession of Montenegro from the State Union of Serbia and Montenegr ...
File:Morocco-Navy-OF-9.svg,
Royal Moroccan Navy
File:Mozambique-Navy-OF-9.svg,
Mozambique Naval Command
File:Generic-Navy-12.svg, Admiral
Nigerian Navy
File:Generic-Navy-12.svg,
Royal Norwegian Navy
The Royal Norwegian Navy ( no, Sjøforsvaret, , Sea defence) is the branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces responsible for naval operations of Norway. , the Royal Norwegian Navy consists of approximately 3,700 personnel (9,450 in mobilized state, 3 ...
File:Generic-Navy-12.svg, Admiral
Pakistan Navy
ur, ہمارے لیے اللّٰہ کافی ہے اور وہ بہترین کارساز ہے۔ English language, English: Allah is Sufficient for us - and what an excellent (reliable) Trustee (of affairs) is He!(''Quran, Qur'an, Al Imran, 3:173' ...
File:Generic-Navy-(star)-O12.svg,
Paraguayan Navy
The Paraguayan Navy ( es, Armada Paraguaya) is the maritime force of the Armed Forces of Paraguay, in charge of the defense of Paraguay's waters despite not having direct access to the sea.
It has gone to war on two occasions: the War of th ...
File:Peru-Navy-OF-9.svg,
Peruvian Navy
The Peruvian Navy ( es, link=no, Marina de Guerra del Perú, abbreviated MGP) is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with surveillance, patrol and defense on lakes, rivers and the Pacific Ocean up to from the Peruvian littoral. Addit ...
File:PN ADM BlkDr-Slv.svg, Admiral
Philippine Navy
The Philippine Navy (PN) ( tgl, Hukbong Dagat ng Pilipinas, , Sea Army of the Philippines) ( es, Armada de Filipinas, , Ejército del Mar de las Filipinas) is the naval warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It has an e ...
File:Poland-Navy-OF-9.svg,
Polish Navy
File:Generic-Navy-12.svg,
Portuguese Navy
File:Romania-Navy-OF-9-Sleeve.svg,
Romanian Naval Forces
File:Russia-Navy-OF-8-Sleeve.svg,
Russian Navy
File:18-Serbian Navy-ADM.svg,
Serbian River Flotilla
The Serbian River Flotilla ( sr, Речна флотила, Rečna flotila) is a tactical brigade-level brown water naval branch of the Serbian Armed Forces. Patroling on the Danube, Sava, and Tisa rivers, it is tasked with environmental polici ...
File:Generic-Navy-13.svg,
Slovenian Navy
The Slovenian Navy, officially the 430th Naval Division is not a separate service, but an integral part of the Slovenian Armed Forces.
History
The Slovenian navy was created after independence in 1991, as the Territorial Defense Forces of Sloveni ...
File:Generic-Navy-12.svg, Admiral
South African Navy
The South African Navy (SA Navy) is the naval warfare branch of the South African National Defence Force.
The Navy is primarily engaged in maintaining a conventional military deterrent, participating in counter-piracy operations, fishery prot ...
File:Spanish-Navy-OF9.svg,
Spanish Navy
File:Generic-Navy-12.svg, Admiral
Sri Lanka Navy
File:Generic-Navy-12.svg,
Swedish Navy
The Swedish Navy ( sv, Svenska marinen) is the naval branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. It is composed of surface and submarine naval units – the Fleet () – as well as marine units, the Amphibious Corps ().
In Swedish, vessels o ...
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)
Tunisia Navy
File:Russia-Navy-OF-8-1994-everyday.svg,
Turkmen Naval Forces
The Turkmen Naval Forces ( Turkmen: Türkmenistanyň Harby-deňiz Güýçleri) is the naval warfare branch of the armed forces of Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan's Navy Day is celebrated annually on October 9. The naval forces were directed by the ...
File:Ukraine-Navy-OF-9.svg,
Ukrainian Navy
File:Generic-Navy-12.svg, Admiral
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
File:US Navy O10 insignia.svg, Admiral
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
File:USCG O-10 insignia.svg, Admiral
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mult ...
File:Generic-Navy-12.svg,
National Navy of Uruguay
The National Navy of Uruguay () is a branch of the Armed Forces of Uruguay under the direction of the Ministry of National Defense and the commander in chief of the Navy (''Comandante en Jefe de la Armada'' or COMAR).
History Independence
Unde ...
File:Generic-Navy-12.svg,
Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela
National ranks
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Admiral (Australia)
Admiral (abbreviated as ADML) is the highest active rank of the Royal Australian Navy and was created as a direct equivalent of the British naval rank of admiral. It is a four-star rank. Since 1968, generally the only time the rank is held is ...
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Admiral (Bangladesh)
Admiral ( bn, এ্যাডমিরাল, Admiral) is a four-star commissioned naval flag officer rank in the Bangladesh Navy. It is the highest achieved rank in the Bangladesh Navy. Admiral ranks above the three-star rank of Vice Admiral.
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Admiral (Canada)
The rank of admiral in Canada is typically held by only one officer whose position is Chief of the Defence Staff and the senior uniformed officer of the Canadian Forces. It is equivalent to the army and air force rank of general.
The last naval ...
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Admiral (Denmark)
is the highest rank of the Royal Danish Navy. As a four-star rank it is the equivalent to the rank of general in the Royal Danish Army and Air force.
The rank is rated OF-9 within NATO. It has the grade of M406 within the Ministry of Defence's ...
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Admiral (Germany)
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Admiral (India)
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Admiral (Netherlands)
Admiral ( nl, Admiraal) is theoretically the highest possible military rank in the Royal Netherlands Navy, although no longer awarded. The admiral carries marshal bars as a distinguishing mark above the gold gallon and is therefore equivalent to ...
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Admiral (Pakistan)
Admiral (abbreviated as ADM) is a four-star commissioned armed flag officer rank and title in the Pakistan Navy, coast guards, and marines bestowed by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. It is the highest rank in Pakistan armed services, abov ...
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Admiral (Russia)
This list of Russian admirals includes the admirals of all ranks, serving in the Russian Imperial Navy, the Soviet Navy and the modern Russian Navy.
See also the categories :Imperial Russian Navy admirals and :Soviet admirals.
Alphabetical ...
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Admiral of Castile
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Admiral (Sri Lanka)
The following tables present the ranks and insignia of the Sri Lanka Navy. These ranks are similar to Royal Navy officer rank insignia, Royal Naval officer ranks and the Royal Navy ratings rank insignia, ratings ranks. Sri Lanka does have an Admira ...
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Admiral (Sweden)
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Admiral (United Kingdom)
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Admiral (United States)
See also
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Admiralissimo
''Admiralissimo'' is an informal title for a chief naval officer, usually implying supreme naval command. It does not correspond to any particular rank, probably derives from Italian, and is a naval equivalent of ''generalissimo''.
List of seni ...
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Admiralty
Admiralty most often refers to:
*Admiralty, Hong Kong
* Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964
*The rank of admiral
* Admiralty law
Admiralty can also refer to:
Buildings
*Admiralty, Tr ...
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Comparative military ranks
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Isabel Barreto, the first female admiral
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Laksamana
The Laksamana ( Jawi: ) is a position within the armed forces, similar to the position of admiral in Malay sultanates and in present-day countries like Indonesia and Malaysia. Since South East Asia was part of Indosphere of Greater India since earl ...
, native title for naval leaders in
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
and
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
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Nebraska Admiral
Nebraska Admiral (formally, Admiral in the Great Navy of the State of Nebraska) is the state of Nebraska's highest civic honor, and an honorary title bestowed upon individuals by approval of the Governor of Nebraska, a triply landlocked U.S. stat ...
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Ranks and insignia of NATO navies' officers
Each officer rank in the navy of a NATO country may be compared with the ranks used by any military service in other NATO countries, under a standardized NATO rank scale. This is useful, for instance, in establishing seniority amongst officers ser ...
References
External links
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{{Authority control
Naval ranks