Counter admiral
Counter admiral is a rank found in many navies of the world, but no longer used in English-speaking countries, where the equivalent rank is rear admiral. The term derives from the French contre-amiral.[1] Depending on the country, it is either a one-star or two-star rank.
In modern navies that use it, rear (counter) admiral is generally, although not always, the lowest flag officer rank (in the German Navy, for instance, Flottillenadmiral ranks below Konteradmiral; in the Royal Canadian Navy, contre-amiral/rear admiral ranks above commodore).
French speaking countries[edit]
In France and other French speaking countries' navies the rank of Contre-amiral is used as the lowest flag officer. It is usually placed above ship-of-the-line captain (French: capitaine de vaisseau) and below vice admiral (French: vice-amiral).
Portuguese speaking countries[edit]
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[edit]
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.
![Kundëradmiral (Albanian Naval Force)[3]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Generic-Navy-10.svg/58px-Generic-Navy-10.svg.png)
![Contra-almirante (Angolan Navy)[4]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Blank.svg/120px-Blank.svg.png){kind=small}
![Kontr-admiral (Azerbaijani Navy)[6]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/Azerbaijan-Navy-OF-6.svg/58px-Azerbaijan-Navy-OF-6.svg.png)
![Contraalmirante (Bolivian Navy)[8]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Generic-Navy-%28star%29-O9.svg/58px-Generic-Navy-%28star%29-O9.svg.png)
![Контраадмирал Kontraadmiral (Bulgarian Navy)[10]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/Bulgaria-Navy-OF-7_sleeve.svg/58px-Bulgaria-Navy-OF-7_sleeve.svg.png)
![Contre-amiral (Congolese Navy)[14]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/14-ROCongo_Navy-CDRE.svg/70px-14-ROCongo_Navy-CDRE.svg.png)
![Kontraadmiral (Croatian Navy)[15]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bc/Croatia-Navy-OF-7.svg/58px-Croatia-Navy-OF-7.svg.png)
![Contralmirante (Cuban Revolutionary Navy)[16]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/Cuba-Navy-OF-6.svg/46px-Cuba-Navy-OF-6.svg.png){kind=small}
![Contralmirante (Dominican Navy)[18]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Contralmirante_Marina_de_Guerra_Dominicana_%28Mango_y_Pala%29.svg/119px-Contralmirante_Marina_de_Guerra_Dominicana_%28Mango_y_Pala%29.svg.png)
![Contralmirante (Ecuadorian Navy)[19]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/Ecuador-Navy-OF-7.svg/58px-Ecuador-Navy-OF-7.svg.png)
![Contralmirante (Navy of El Salvador)[20]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/US_Navy_O8_shoulderboard.svg/50px-US_Navy_O8_shoulderboard.svg.png)
![Kontra-amiraali Swedish: Konteramiral (Finnish Navy)[22]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/81/Finland-Navy-OF-7.svg/58px-Finland-Navy-OF-7.svg.png)
![Contre-amiral (French Navy)[23]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/France-Navy-OF-6_Sleeve.svg/60px-France-Navy-OF-6_Sleeve.svg.png)
![Konteradmiral (German Navy)[24]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Germany-Navy-OF-7.svg/58px-Germany-Navy-OF-7.svg.png)
![Contralmirante (Honduran Navy)[25]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/16/US_Navy_O7_shoulderboard.svg/50px-US_Navy_O7_shoulderboard.svg.png)
![Contrammiraglio (Italian Navy)[26]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e8/Rank_insignia_of_contrammiraglio_of_the_Italian_Navy.svg/75px-Rank_insignia_of_contrammiraglio_of_the_Italian_Navy.svg.png){kind=icon}
![Contre-amiral (Navy of Ivory Coast)[27]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/Ivory_Coast-Navy-OF-6.svg/49px-Ivory_Coast-Navy-OF-6.svg.png){kind=small}
![Контр-адмирал Kontr-admïral (Kazakh Naval Forces)[28]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/17-RKN-MG.svg/44px-17-RKN-MG.svg.png){kind=small}
![Contre-amiral (Madagascar Navy)[31]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2e/16._Madagascar_Navy_-_RADM.svg/55px-16._Madagascar_Navy_-_RADM.svg.png)
![Kontra admiral (Montenegrin Navy)[33]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/Montenegro-Navy-OF-7.svg/58px-Montenegro-Navy-OF-7.svg.png)
![Contre-amiral (Royal Moroccan Navy)[34]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/Morocco-Navy-OF-6.svg/54px-Morocco-Navy-OF-6.svg.png)
![Contralmirante (Nicaraguan Navy)[35]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/12-Nicaragua_Navy-CDRE.svg/49px-12-Nicaragua_Navy-CDRE.svg.png){kind=small}
![Contraalmirante (Paraguayan Navy)[37]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/Generic-Navy-%28star%29-O10.svg/58px-Generic-Navy-%28star%29-O10.svg.png)
![Contraalmirante (Peruvian Navy)[38]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e3/Peru-Navy-OF-7.svg/58px-Peru-Navy-OF-7.svg.png)
![Kontradmirał (Polish Navy)[39]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/Poland-Navy-OF-6.svg/58px-Poland-Navy-OF-6.svg.png)
![Contraamiral (Romanian Naval Forces)[41]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/75/Romania-Navy-OF-7-Sleeve.svg/58px-Romania-Navy-OF-7-Sleeve.svg.png)
![Contraamiral de flotilă (Romanian Naval Forces)[41]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/Romania-Navy-OF-6-Sleeve.svg/58px-Romania-Navy-OF-6-Sleeve.svg.png)
![Контр-адмирал Contre-admiral (Russian Navy)[42]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Russia-Navy-OF-6-Sleeve.svg/57px-Russia-Navy-OF-6-Sleeve.svg.png)
![Kontraadmiral (Slovenian Navy)[44]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Generic-Navy-11.svg/58px-Generic-Navy-11.svg.png)
![Contra almirante (Spanish Navy)[45]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Spain-Navy-OF-6.svg/58px-Spain-Navy-OF-6.svg.png)
![Kontr-admiral (Turkmen Naval Forces)[49]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/36/Russia-Navy-OF-6-1994-everyday.svg/46px-Russia-Navy-OF-6-1994-everyday.svg.png){kind=small}
![Контр-адмірал Kontr-admiral (Ukrainian Navy)[50]](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Ukraine-Navy-OF-7.svg/58px-Ukraine-Navy-OF-7.svg.png)