Admiral of the fleet

Military naval officer of the highest rank
Comparative military ranks
Armies,
air forces
(non-Commonwealth)
Navies,
coast guard
Air forces
(Commonwealth system)
Flag commissioned officers
Field marshal Admiral of the fleet Marshal of the air force
General or
colonel general or
army general
Admiral or
general admiral
Air chief marshal
Lieutenant general or
army corps general
Vice admiral Air marshal
Major general or
divisional general
Rear admiral or
Counter admiral
Air vice-marshal
Brigadier or
brigadier general
Commodore or
flotilla admiral
Air commodore
Senior commissioned officers
Colonel (Ship-of-the-Line)
Captain
Group captain
Lieutenant colonel Frigate captain or
Commander
Wing commander
Major or
commandant
Corvette captain or Lieutenant
commander
Squadron leader
Junior commissioned officers
Captain Lieutenant Flight lieutenant
First lieutenant or
lieutenant
Lieutenant
junior grade or
sub-lieutenant
Flying officer
Second lieutenant or
junior lieutenant
Ensign or
midshipman
Pilot officer
Officer cadet Officer cadet Flight cadet
Non-commissioned officers
Warrant officer or
sergeant major
Warrant officer or
chief petty officer
Warrant officer
Sergeant Petty officer Sergeant
Enlisted ranks
Corporal or
bombardier or
specialist
Leading seaman Corporal or leading aircraftman
Private or
gunner or
trooper or
sapper
Seaman Aircraftman or
airman or
aviator
  • v
  • t
  • e
Naval officer ranks
Flag officers
Senior officers
Junior officers
  • v
  • t
  • e

An admiral of the fleet or shortened to fleet admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to Field marshal and Marshal of the air force. An admiral of the fleet is typically senior to an admiral.

It is also a generic term for a senior admiral in command of a large group of ships, comprising a fleet or, in some cases, a group of fleets. If actually a rank, its name can vary depending on the country. In addition to "fleet admiral" and "admiral of the fleet", such rank names include "admiral of the navy" and "grand admiral".

Etymology

The title admiral of the fleet can trace its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title was typically granted to a nobleman who was appointed by a monarch to raise and command a navy for a specific campaign.[citation needed]

Usage in specific countries

The following articles contain specific information on the rank as it pertains to individual countries:

  • Admiral of the fleet (Australia)
  • Admiral flote (Croatia)
  • Admiral of the fleet (Russia)
    • Admiral of the fleet (Soviet Union)
  • Admiral of the fleet (Sri Lanka)
  • Chom phon ruea (Thailand)
  • Admiral flote (Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia)
  • Admiral of the fleet (United Kingdom)
  • Fleet admiral (United States)

Ambiguity exists when translating the French amiral into English (into admiral of the fleet or admiral). A French title of amiral de la flotte, outranking a full admiral was created in 1939 for Darlan, who was the only person in French history to hold that title. Amiral de la flotte became a rank in 1942, when Darlan was commander in chief of the military forces of the Vichy Regime. The rank of Amiral de la flotte was still mentioned in French laws in 1957.[1]

NATO code

While the rank of admiral of the fleet/fleet admiral is used in some of NATO countries, it is ranked differently depending on the country.

NATO code Country[2] English equivalent
UK US
OF-10 Croatia, Portugal Admiral of the Fleet Fleet admiral
OF-8 Poland Vice admiral Vice admiral

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ^ Le Hunsec, Mathieu (2012-03-15). "L'amiral, cet inconnu". Revue historique des armées (in French) (266): 91–107. ISSN 0035-3299.
  2. ^ NATO (2021). STANAG 2116 NATO (7th ed.). Brussels, Belgium: NATO Standardization Agency. pp. B-1–B-3.
  3. ^ "Postos da Marinha". faa.ao (in Portuguese). Angolan Navy. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Badges of rank" (PDF). defence.gov.au. Department of Defence (Australia). Retrieved 31 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Admiralty Ranks". navy.mindef.gov.bn. Royal Brunei Navy. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
  6. ^ "Oznake činova". osrh.hr (in Croatian). Republic of Croatia Armed Forces. 1 April 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  7. ^ "Ranks & Insignia". Join Indian Navy. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  8. ^ "Pangkat". mafhq.mil.my (in Malay). Malaysian Armed Forces. Archived from the original on 29 April 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  9. ^ Smaldone, Joseph P. (1992). "National Security". In Metz, Helen Chapin (ed.). Nigeria: a country study. Area Handbook (5th ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. pp. 296–297. LCCN 92009026. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  10. ^ "Badges of Rank". nzdf.mil.nz. New Zealand Defence Force. Archived from the original on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  11. ^ "Sposób noszenia odznak stopni wojskowych na umundurowaniu Marynarki Wojennej" (PDF). wojsko-polskie.pl (in Polish). Armed Forces Support Inspectorate. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  12. ^ "Os Postos". marinha.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  13. ^ Приказ Министра обороны Российской Федерации от 09.10.2020 № 525 (Зарегистрирован 16.11.2020 № 60927) (in Russian). publication.pravo.gov.ru/. 17 November 2020. pp. 320–323. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  14. ^ "Navy Commander calls on Admiral of the Fleet, Wasantha Karannagoda". news.navy.lk. Sri Lanka Navy. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  15. ^ "TÜRKMENISTANYŇ KANUNY Harby borçlulyk we harby gulluk hakynda (Türkmenistanyň Mejlisiniň Maglumatlary 2010 ý., № 3, 58-nji madda) (Türkmenistanyň 01.10.2011 ý. № 234-IV Kanuny esasynda girizilen üýtgetmeler we goşmaçalar bilen)" [LAW OF TURKMENISTAN On military service and military service (Information of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan, 2010, No. 3, Article 58) (as amended by the Law of Turkmenistan of October 1, 2011 No. 234-IV)] (PDF). milligosun.gov.tm (in Turkmen). Ministry of Defense (Turkmenistan). pp. 28–29. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  16. ^ "Shaping your career". royalnavy.mod.uk. Royal Navy. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
  17. ^ "U.S. Military Rank Insignia". defense.gov. Department of Defense. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  • Francis E. McMurtrie and Raymond V.B. Blackman (editors), Jane's Fighting Ships 1949-50. New York: The McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1949.
  • v
  • t
  • e
Military ranks and insignia by country
Africa
States with
limited recognition
Former
Comparative
Americas
Former
Comparative
Asia
States with
limited recognition
  • Abkhazia
  • Artsakh
  • Palestine
  • South Ossetia
  • Taiwan (Republic of China)
Former
Comparative
Europe
States with
limited recognition
Former
Comparative
Oceania
Comparative
Language
Anglophone
Arabophone
Francophone
Hispanophone
Lusophone
Post-Soviet states
Commonwealth of Nations
European Union
NATO
  • v
  • t
  • e
Ancient
Modern