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Fleet Admiral Information

An Admiral of the Fleet or Fleet Admiral is a military naval officer of the highest rank. In many nations the rank is reserved for wartime or ceremonial appointments. It is usually a rank above Admiral, (which is now usually the highest rank in peace-time for officers in active service), and is often held by the most senior Admiral of an entire naval service. 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.[1] It ranks above Vice Admiral, Rear Admiral and usually full Admiral, and is usually given to a senior Admiral commanding multiple fleets as opposed to just one fleet. It is often classified in NATO nations as a '5 star rank'[citation needed].

Admiral of the Fleet is equivalent to an army Field Marshal or General of the Army (which both rank above General). It is also equivalent to a Marshal of the Air Force which in many countries has a similar rank insignia to Admiral of the Fleet.

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.

Contents

Usage in specific countries

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

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 invented in 1939 for Darlan, who was the only person in French history to hold that title.

Before the fall of the monarchy in 1952, the Egyptian Navy had the equivalent rank of Sayed Elbehar Elazam.

The associated list of Fleet and Grand Admirals provides a summary of those who have held the rank of Fleet Admiral, or its equivalent.

In the Turkish Navy, the corresponding rank Büyük Amiral, literally meaning "Grand Admiral", can only be bestowed by the National Assembly, and only given to an Admiral who leads the navy successfully in and out of a war, criteria tougher than those for equivalent ranks. No one has ever been bestowed this rank yet in the republican era. During the period of the Ottoman Empire, commanders of the navy carried the rank of Kaptan-ı Derya as equivalent.

Other countries

The rank also exists or has existed (on paper at least) in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Oman and Pakistan, although not all of these countries have actually ever bestowed the rank on an individual.

Fictional

The following articles contains information about fictional Fleet Admirals:

References and notes

  1. ^ In some navies, however, such as the German Kriegsmarine during World War II, "Admiral of the Navy" has been considered an even higher rank than "Admiral of the Fleet" or its equivalent.
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be and removed. (November 2007)

Categories: Naval ranks | 5 star officers

 

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