Counter admiral is a
rank
Rank is the relative position, value, worth, complexity, power, importance, authority, level, etc. of a person or object within a ranking, such as:
Level or position in a hierarchical organization
* Academic rank
* Diplomatic rank
* Hierarchy
* H ...
found in many navies of the world, but no longer used in
English-speaking countries
The following is a list of English-speaking population by country, including information on both native speakers and second-language speakers.
List
* The European Union is a supranational union composed of 27 member states. The total Engl ...
, where the equivalent rank is
rear admiral
Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...
. The term derives from the French ''contre-amiral''.
[Oxford English Dictionary. counter-admiral, n.
Second edition, 1989; online version June 2011. ; accessed 22 June 2011.] Depending on the country, it is either a
one-star or
two-star rank
An officer of two-star rank is a senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO code of OF-7. The term is also used by some armed forces which are not NATO members. Typically, two-star officers hold the rank ...
.
In modern navies that use it, rear (counter) admiral is generally, although not always, the lowest
flag officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which the officer exercises command.
The term is used differently in different countries:
*In many countr ...
rank (in the
German Navy
The German Navy (, ) is the navy of Germany and part of the unified ''Bundeswehr'' (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Mari ...
, for instance, ''
Flottillenadmiral
Flotilla admiral is the lowest flag rank, a rank above captain, in the modern navies of Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Germany and Sweden. It corresponds to the ranks of commodore or rear admiral (lower half) in the navies of the United ...
'' ranks below ''Konteradmiral''; in the
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 ...
, ''contre-amiral''/rear admiral ranks above ''
commodore
Commodore may refer to:
Ranks
* Commodore (rank), a naval rank
** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom
** Commodore (United States)
** Commodore (Canada)
** Commodore (Finland)
** Commodore (Germany) or ''Kommodore''
* Air commodore, a ...
'').
French speaking countries
In France and other French speaking countries' navies the rank of is used as the lowest
flag officer
A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which the officer exercises command.
The term is used differently in different countries:
*In many countr ...
. It is usually placed above
ship-of-the-line captain
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The rank is equal to the army rank of colonel and air force rank of group captain.
Equivalent ranks worldwide include ...
(french: capitaine de vaisseau) and below
vice admiral (french: vice-amiral).
Germany
Konteradmiral
''Konteradmiral'', abbreviated KAdm or KADM, is the second lowest naval flag officer rank in the German Navy. It is equivalent to '' Generalmajor'' in the '' Heer'' and ''Luftwaffe'' or to '' Admiralstabsarzt'' and ''Generalstabsarzt'' in the '' ...
is an
OF-7
An officer of two-star rank is a senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO code of OF-7. The term is also used by some armed forces which are not NATO members. Typically, two-star officers hold the rank ...
two-star rank
An officer of two-star rank is a senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO code of OF-7. The term is also used by some armed forces which are not NATO members. Typically, two-star officers hold the rank ...
of
Deutsche Marine
The German Navy (, ) is the navy of Germany and part of the unified ''Bundeswehr'' (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Mari ...
(German Navy), equivalent to the
Generalmajor
is the Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central and Northern European countries.
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and Royal Danish Air Force. As a two-star ...
(en:
Major general
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
) in the
German Army
The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...
and the
German Air Force
The German Air Force (german: Luftwaffe, lit=air weapon or air arm, ) is the aerial warfare branch of the , the armed forces of Germany. The German Air Force (as part of the ''Bundeswehr'') was founded in 1956 during the era of the Cold War a ...
.
Nordic countries
The rank of counter admiral is used in all the
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries (also known as the Nordics or ''Norden''; literal translation, lit. 'the North') are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It includes the sovereign states of Denmar ...
.
Denmark and Norway
In 1771, the rank of was removed and replaced with the rank of counter admiral.
Finland
Counter admiral is the more direct translation of Finnish ''kontra-amiraali'', a
two-star rank
An officer of two-star rank is a senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO code of OF-7. The term is also used by some armed forces which are not NATO members. Typically, two-star officers hold the rank ...
used in the
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 ...
and the
Finnish Border Guard
The Finnish Border Guard (; ) is the agency responsible for enforcing the security of Finland's borders. It is a military organisation, subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior in administrative issues and to the President of Finland in issue ...
. However, it is usually translated as rear admiral in international use.
Sweden
Portuguese speaking countries
In the
navies of Brazil and Angola the rank of ''contra-almirante'' is the lowest of the flag officer ranks. In the
navies of Portugal and Mozambique the rank of ''contra-almirante'' is the second lowest, above that of ''comodoro'' (
commodore
Commodore may refer to:
Ranks
* Commodore (rank), a naval rank
** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom
** Commodore (United States)
** Commodore (Canada)
** Commodore (Finland)
** Commodore (Germany) or ''Kommodore''
* Air commodore, a ...
).
Until the end of the 19th century, the present rank of ''contra-almirante'' was named ''chefe de esquadra'' (chief of squadron), both in the Portuguese and in the Brazilian navies.
Russia and other former communist countries
''Kontr-admiral'' was the lowest flag officer rank of the
Soviet Navy and is the lowest flag rank of the
Russian Navy, similar to an OF-6 officer.
NATO code
While the rank of counter admiral is used in a number of NATO countries, it is ranked differently depending on the country.
Gallery
Generic-Navy-10.svg,
(Albanian Naval Force
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 ...
)
(Angolan Navy
The Angolan Navy ( pt, Marinha de Guerra Angolana) or MGA is the naval branch of the Angolan Armed Forces and is tasked with protecting Angola's 1,600 km long coastline. The Angolan Navy has approximately 1,000 personnel.
History
The Angolan Na ...
)
(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 ...
)
(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 ...
)
(Benin Navy
The Benin Armed Forces (french: Forces Armées Béninoises; FAB) constitutes the army, navy, air force, and national gendarmerie of Benin. For a number of years, the Belgian Armed Forces have had an active programme of co-operation with Benin, o ...
)
(Bolivian Navy
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 ...
)
Generic-Navy-10.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 ...
)
(Bulgarian Navy
The Bulgarian Navy ( bg, Военноморски сили на Република България, Voennomorski sili na Republika Balgariya, lit=Naval Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria) is the navy of the Republic of Bulgaria and forms part of ...
)
(Cameroon Navy
The Cameroon Armed Forces (french: Forces armées camerounaises (FAC)) are the military of the Republic of Cameroon. The armed forces number 40,000 personnel in ground, air, and naval forces. There are approximately 40,000 troops in the army acr ...
)
Canada-Navy-OF-7-collected.svg,
(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 ...
)
(Chilean Navy
The Chilean Navy ( es, Armada de Chile) is the naval warfare service branch of the Chilean Armed Forces. It is under the Ministry of National Defense. Its headquarters are at Edificio Armada de Chile, Valparaiso.
History
Origins and the Wars ...
)
(Colombian National Navy
The Colombian Navy, officially the Colombian National Navy ( es, Armada Nacional de la República de Colombia), also known as the ''"Armada Nacional"'' or just the ''"Armada"'' in Spanish, is the naval branch of the Military Forces of Colombia, mi ...
)[ ]
16.DRCN-CDRE.svg,
(Navy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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 include ...
)
14-ROCongo Navy-CDRE.svg,
( Congolese Navy)
(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 ...
)
(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 ...
)
(Royal Danish Navy
The Royal Danish Navy ( da, Søværnet) is the Naval warfare, sea-based branch of the Danish Defence force. The RDN is mainly responsible for maritime defence and maintaining the sovereignty of Denmark, Danish territorial waters (incl. Faroe Isla ...
)
(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 ...
)
(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 ...
)
US Navy O8 shoulderboard.svg,
(Navy of El Salvador
The Navy of El Salvador ( es, Fuerza Naval de El Salvador) is the naval arm of the Armed Forces of El Salvador. The navy was founded on 12 October 1951.
Built around craft and duties absorbed from the Salvadoran Coast Guard, the navy is primarily ...
)
(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 ...
)
(Navy of Equatorial Guinea
The Navy of Equatorial Guinea ( es, Marina de guerra; french: Marine de guerre; pt, Marinha de Guerra) is the maritime component of the Armed Forces of Equatorial Guinea. Its main functions are anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Guinea and pro ...
)
File:Finland-Navy-OF-7.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 ...
)
(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 ...
)
(Gabonese Navy
The National Navy of Gabon (french: Marine Nationale du Gabon) is the naval branch of the Armed Forces of Gabon. It operates a few fast attack craft and patrol vessels to maintain security along its -long coastline.
Overview
Created on 16 Dece ...
)
MDS 61 Flottillenadmiral Trp.svg,
(German Navy
The German Navy (, ) is the navy of Germany and part of the unified ''Bundeswehr'' (Federal Defense), the German Armed Forces. The German Navy was originally known as the ''Bundesmarine'' (Federal Navy) from 1956 to 1995, when ''Deutsche Mari ...
)
(Honduran Navy
The Armed Forces of Honduras ( es, Fuerzas Armadas de Honduras), consists of the Honduran Army, Honduran Navy and Honduran Air Force.
History Pre-1979
The Armed Forces of Honduras were created through article 44, subsection 4 of the First Const ...
)
(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 ...
)
Ivory Coast-Navy-OF-6.svg,
( Navy of Ivory Coast)
(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 ...
)
(Latvian Naval Forces
Latvian Naval Forces ( lv, Latvijas Jūras spēki) is the naval warfare branch of the National Armed Forces. It is tasked with conducting military, search and rescue operations, mine and explosive sweeping on the Baltic Sea, as well as ecological ...
)
(Lithuanian Naval Force
The Lithuanian Navy ( lt, Lietuvos Karinės jūrų pajėgos) is the naval arm of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. Though formally established on 1 August 1935 its roots stretch back as far as naval engagements on the Baltic Sea in the Medieval period ...
)
(Madagascar Navy
The Madagascar Navy () is the maritime component of the Madagascar People's Armed Forces. The Madagascar Navy is under-equipped and undergoes difficulties in accomplishing its mission of maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, and controll ...
)
(Mexican Navy
The Mexican Navy is one of the two independent armed forces of Mexico. The actual naval forces are called the ''Armada de México''. The ''Secretaría de Marina'' (''SEMAR'') (English: Naval Secretariat) includes both the ''Armada'' itself and ...
)
( Montenegrin Navy)
(Royal Moroccan Navy
ber, ⴰⴷⵡⴰⵙ ⴰⴳⴻⵍⴷⴰⵏ ⵏ ⵢⵉⵍⴻⵍ
, image =
, caption = Royal Moroccan Navy Seal
, start_date = active since: 11th century
current form: 30 Apr ...
)
( Mozambique Naval Command)
12-Nicaragua Navy-CDRE.svg,
(Nicaraguan Navy
The Nicaraguan Navy, officially the Naval Force of the Nicaraguan Army, ( es, Fuerza Naval del Ejercito de Nicaragua) is the naval service branch of the Nicaraguan Armed Forces. The navy's mission is to ensure the defense and security of the isl ...
)
(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 ...
)
(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 ...
)
(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 ...
)
( Polish Navy)
(Portuguese Navy
The Portuguese Navy ( pt, Marinha Portuguesa, also known as ''Marinha de Guerra Portuguesa'' or as ''Armada Portuguesa'') is the naval branch of the Portuguese Armed Forces which, in cooperation and integrated with the other branches of the Port ...
)
(Romanian Naval Forces
The Romanian Navy ( ro, Forțele Navale Române) is the navy branch of the Romanian Armed Forces; it operates in the Black Sea and on the Danube. It traces its history back to 1860.
History
The Romanian Navy was founded in 1860 as a river flot ...
)
(Romanian Naval Forces
The Romanian Navy ( ro, Forțele Navale Române) is the navy branch of the Romanian Armed Forces; it operates in the Black Sea and on the Danube. It traces its history back to 1860.
History
The Romanian Navy was founded in 1860 as a river flot ...
)
( Russian Navy)
( Senegalese Navy)
16-Serbian Navy-RADM.svg,
( Serbian River Flotilla)
(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 ...
)
(Spanish Navy
The Spanish Navy or officially, the Armada, is the maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation, ...
)
(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 ...
)
( Togolese Navy)
(Tunisian Navy
Tunisian may refer to:
* Someone or something connected to Tunisia
*Tunisian Arabic
*Tunisian people
*Tunisian cuisine
* Tunisian culture
Tunisian culture is a product of more than three thousand years of history and an important multi-ethnic ...
)
(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 ...
)
(Ukrainian Navy
The Military Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine ( uk, Військо́во-морські́ си́ли Збро́йних сил Украї́ни, ВМС ЗСУ) is the maritime forces of Ukraine and one of the five branches of the Arme ...
)
(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 ...
)
(Venezuelan Navy
)
, mascot =
, battles = Venezuelan War of Independence and the Battle of Lake Maracaibo
, anniversaries = July 24, Birthday of Simon Bolivar, Navy Day and Battle of Lake Maracai ...
)
References
Admirals
Naval ranks
{{mil-rank-stub