Counter admiral is a military rank used for high-ranking officers in several navies around the world, though the rank is not used in the English-speaking world, where its equivalent rank is rear admiral. The term derives from the French . Depending on the country, it is either a one-star or two-star rank. In modern navies that use it, counter admiral is generally, although not always, the lowest flag officer rank. In the German Navy, for instance, ranks below ; in the Royal Canadian Navy, (rear admiral in English) ranks above .
French-speaking countries
In France and other French-speaking countries' navies the rank of is used as the lowest flag officer. It is usually placed above ship-of-the-line captain () and below vice admiral ().
Germany
is a NATO OF-7 (two-star rank) of the (German Navy), equivalent to the ("major general") in the German Army and the German Air Force.
Nordic countries
The rank of counter admiral is used in all the Nordic countries.
Denmark and Norway
In 1771, the rank of was removed and replaced with the rank of counter admiral (Danish/Norwegian: ).
Finland
Counter admiral is the more direct translation of Finnish , a two-star rank used in the Finnish Navy and the Finnish Border Guard. 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).
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.
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
! rowspan=2| NATO code
! rowspan=2| Country
! colspan=2| English equivalent
|-
! UK
! US
|-
! OF-7
| Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia
| Rear admiral
| Rear admiral
|-
! OF-6
| Albania, France, Italy, Poland, Spain
| Commodore
| Rear admiral (lower half)
|}
Gallery
<gallery class="center">
<!-- In alphabetic order of Country please -->
Generic-Navy-10.svg|<br />(Albanian Naval Force)
File:Angola-Navy-OF-6.svg|<br />(Angolan Navy)
File:Generic-Navy-10.svg|<br />(Argentine Navy)
File:Azerbaijan-Navy-OF-6.svg|<br />(Azerbaijani Navy)
blank.svg|<br />(Benin Navy)
File:Generic-Navy-(star)-O9.svg|<br />(Bolivian Navy)
Generic-Navy-10.svg|<br />(Brazilian Navy)
File:Bulgaria-Navy-OF-7 sleeve.svg|<br /><br />(Bulgarian Navy)
Cameroon-Navy-OF-6.svg|<br />(Cameroon Navy)
File:Generic-Navy-10.svg|<br /><br />(Royal Canadian Navy)
Generic-Navy-(star)-O9.svg|<br />(Chilean Navy)
Generic-Navy-10.svg|<br />(Colombian National Navy)
16.DRCN-CDRE.svg|<br />(Navy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo)
14-ROCongo Navy-CDRE.svg|<br />(Congolese Navy)
File:Croatia-Navy-OF-7.svg|<br />(Croatian Navy)
Cuba-Navy-OF-6.svg|<br />(Cuban Revolutionary Navy)
Generic-Navy-10.svg|<br />(Royal Danish Navy)
Contralmirante Marina de Guerra Dominicana (Mango y Pala).svg|<br />(Dominican Navy)
Ecuador-Navy-OF-7.svg|<br />(Ecuadorian Navy)
US Navy O8 shoulderboard.svg|<br />(Navy of El Salvador)
Generic-Navy-10.svg|<br />(Estonian Navy)
Generic-Navy-9.svg|<br />(Navy of Equatorial Guinea)
File:Finland-Navy-OF-7.svg|<br /><br />(Finnish Navy)
France-Navy-OF-6 Sleeve.svg|<br />(French Navy)
20.GN-CMDRE.svg|<br />(Gabonese Navy)
File:Germany-Navy-OF-7.svg|<br />(German Navy)
US Navy O7 shoulderboard.svg|<br />(Honduran Navy)
Rank insignia of contrammiraglio of the Italian Navy.svg|<br />(Italian Navy)
Ivory Coast-Navy-OF-6.svg|<br />(Navy of Ivory Coast)
17-RKN-MG.svg|<br /><br />(Kazakh Naval Forces)
Generic-Navy-10.svg|<br />(Latvian Naval Forces)
Generic-Navy-10.svg|<br />(Lithuanian Naval Force)
16. Madagascar Navy - RADM.svg|<br />(Madagascar Navy)
File:Mexico-Navy-OF6 sleeve.svg|<br />(Mexican Navy)
File:Montenegro-Navy-OF-7.svg|<br />(Montenegrin Navy)
Morocco-Navy-OF-6.svg|<br />(Royal Moroccan Navy)
Mozambique-Navy-OF-7.svg|<br />(Mozambique Naval Command)
12-Nicaragua Navy-CDRE.svg|<br />(Nicaraguan Navy)
Generic-Navy-10.svg|<br />(Royal Norwegian Navy)
Generic-Navy-(star)-O10.svg|<br />(Paraguayan Navy)
Peru-Navy-OF-7.svg|<br />(Peruvian Navy)
Poland-Navy-OF-6.svg|<br />(Polish Navy)
File:Generic-Navy-10.svg|<br />(Portuguese Navy)
File:Romania-Navy-OF-7-Sleeve.svg|<br />(Romanian Naval Forces)
File:Romania-Navy-OF-6-Sleeve.svg|<br />(Romanian Naval Forces)
blank.svg|<br />(Senegalese Navy)
File:Generic-Navy-(star)-O10.svg|<br /><br />(Serbian River Flotilla)
Generic-Navy-11.svg|<br />(Slovenian Navy)
File:Spain-Navy-OF-6.svg|<br />(Spanish Navy)
Generic-Navy-10.svg|<br />(Swedish Navy)
File:France-Navy-OF-6 Sleeve.svg|<br />(Togolese Navy)
File:Generic-Navy-10.svg|<br/><br />(Tunisian Navy)
Russia-Navy-OF-6-1994-everyday.svg|<br />(Turkmen Naval Forces)
Ukraine-Navy-OF-7.svg|<br /><br />(Ukrainian Navy)
Generic-Navy-10.svg|<br />(National Navy of Uruguay)
File:Generic-Navy-9.svg|<br />(Venezuelan Navy)
</gallery>