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Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral.

Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is usually equivalent to the rank of major general in armies. In the U.S. Navy and some other navies, there are two rear admiral ranks.

The term originated in the days of naval sailing squadrons and can trace its origins to the Royal Navy. Each naval squadron was assigned an admiral as its head, who commanded from the centre vessel and directed the squadron's activities. The admiral would in turn be assisted by a vice admiral, who commanded the lead ships that bore the brunt of a battle. In the rear of the squadron, a third admiral commanded the remaining ships and, as this section was considered to be in the least danger, the admiral in command of it was typically the most junior. This has continued into the modern age, with rear admiral the most junior admiralty of many navies.

Australia

The Royal Australian Navy maintains a rank of rear admiral; refer to Australian Defence Force ranks and insignia. The abbreviation is RADM.

Since the mid-1990s, the insignia of a Royal Australian Navy rear admiral is the Crown of St. Edward above a crossed sword and baton, above two silver stars, above the word "Australia". Like the Royal Navy version, the sword is a traditional naval cutlass. The stars have eight points, unlike the four pointed Order of the Bath stars used by the army (which are often referred to as "pips"). Prior to 1995, the RAN shoulder board was identical to the Royal Navy shoulder board. The Royal Navy shoulder board changed again in 2001 and the Australian and UK shoulder boards are now identical except for the word "Australia".

Rear Admiral Robyn Walker AM, RAN became the first female admiral in the Royal Australian Navy when she was appointed Surgeon-General of the Australian Defence Force on 16 December 2011.

Canada

In the Royal Canadian Navy, the rank of rear-admiral (RAdm) (contre-amiral or CAm in French) is the Navy rank equivalent to major-general of the Army and Air Force. A rear-admiral is a flag officer, the naval equivalent of a general officer. A rear-admiral is senior to a commodore and brigadier-general, and junior to a vice-admiral and lieutenant-general.

The rank insignia for a rear-admiral is two silver maple leaves beneath a silver crossed sword and baton, all surmounted by St Edward's Crown, worn on gold shoulder boards on the white short-sleeved shirt or the tropical white tunic. The service dress features a wide strip of gold braid around the cuff and, since June 2010, above it a narrower strip of gold braid embellished with the executive curl. On the visor of the service cap are two rows of gold oak leaves.

• Canadian rear admiral shoulder board and sleeve insignia (since June 2010)
• Uniform shirts
• CADPAT uniform

India

Pakistan

A rear admiral in the Pakistani Navy is a senior and two-star rank naval officer, appointed in higher naval commands. Like most Commonwealth navies, the rear admiral rank is superior to commodore and captain. However, the rank is junior to the three-star rank vice-admiral and four-star rank admiral, who is generally a Chief of Naval Staff of the Navy.

New Zealand

The highest ordinary rank currently filled in the Royal New Zealand Navy is rear admiral and this is the rank held by the Chief of Navy unless that person is also Chief of Defence Force.

Singapore

The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) has two ranks with the title of rear admiral: rear-admiral (one-star), a one-star rank; and rear-admiral (two-star), a two-star rank.

Sri Lanka

Rear admiral is a two-star rank in the Sri Lanka Navy.

Sweden

In Sweden, rear admiral is a two-star admiral rank of the Swedish Navy.

United Kingdom

The Royal Navy maintains a rank of rear admiral. Note that the rank of rear admiral is quite different from the honorary office Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom.

United States

In the United States, there have been two ranks with the title of rear admiral since 1985: rear admiral (lower half) (RDML), a one-star rank; and rear admiral (RADM), a two-star rank. Prior to that, a combination of ranks was used. Both the rear admiral (lower half) and rear admiral ranks exist in four of the uniformed services of the United States: the United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps (NOAA Corps).

Admiral insignia by country

• Rear admiral
  (Royal Australian Navy)
• Rear admiral
  (Bangladesh Navy)
• Rear admiral
  (Belize Coast Guard)
• Rear admiral
  (French: Contre-amiral)
  (Royal Canadian Navy)
• ሬር አድሚራል
  Rēri ādimīrali
  (Ethiopian Navy)
• Rear admiral
  (Republic of Fiji Navy)
• Rear admiral
  (Gambian Navy)
• Rear admiral
  (Ghana Navy)
• Rear admiral
  (Guyana Coast Guard)
• Rear admiral
  (Indian Navy)
• Rear admiral
  (Irish: Seachaimiréal)
  (Irish Naval Service)
• Rear admiral
  (Jamaican Coast Guard)
• Rear admiral
  (Namibian Navy)
• Rear admiral
  (Royal New Zealand Navy)
• Rear admiral
  (Nigerian Navy)
• Rear admiral
  (Urdu: بحریہ کا امیر, romanized: Bahriyah ka ameer)
  (Pakistan Navy)
• Rear admiral
  (Papua New Guinea Maritime Element)
• Rear admiral
  (Philippine Navy)
• Rear admiral
  (Sierra Leone Navy)
• Rear admiral
  (Republic of Singapore Navy)
• Rear admiral
  (South African Navy)
• Rear admiral
  (Sri Lanka Navy)
• Rear admiral
  (Tanzania Naval Command)
• Rear admiral
  (Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard)
• Rear admiral
  (Royal Navy)
• Rear admiral
  (United States Navy)
• Rear admiral
  (United States Coast Guard)

See also

• Ranks and insignia of officers of NATO navies

References and notes

1. Navy, corporateName=Royal Australian. "Ranks of the Royal Australian Navy". www.navy.gov.au. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
2. "Uniform Ranks". Royal Australian Navy. Australian Government. Archived from the original on 24 January 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
3. "First female Admiral for the Royal Australian Navy". Defence News. Department of Defence, Australian Government. 6 December 2011.
4. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 June 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) The Maple Leaf/La Feuille d'érable – no. 13 vol.18
5. "Rear Admiral Jack Steer Appointed Chief of Navy". Royal New Zealand Navy. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
6. 10 U.S.C. 5501 Notes
7. "Badges of rank" (PDF). defence.gov.au. Department of Defence (Australia). Retrieved 31 May 2021.
8. Bangladesh Navy. "Rank of Navy & Equivalent Rank". navy.mil.bd. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
9. "Ranks and appointment". canada.ca. Government of Canada. 23 November 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
10. "Ranks & Insignia". Join Indian Navy. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
11. "Naval Service Rank Markings". military.ie. Defence Forces (Ireland). Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
12. "BADGES OF RANK". Official Jamaica Defence Force Website. 2019. Archived from the original on 20 August 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
13. "Badges of Rank". nzdf.mil.nz. New Zealand Defence Force. Archived from the original on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
14. 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.
15. "LIFE IN PN:RANKS". www.paknavy.gov.pk. Pakistan Navy Official Website. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
16. "SAF Rank Insignias". mindef.gov.sg. Ministry of Defence (Singapore). Retrieved 7 June 2021.
17. "Rank Insignia". navy.mil.za. Department of Defence (South Africa). Archived from the original on 18 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
18. "Branches/ Ranks". navy.lk. Sri Lanka Navy. Archived from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
19. "Rank Chart (Commissioned Officers)". 69.0.195.188. Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
20. "Shaping your career". royalnavy.mod.uk. Royal Navy. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
21. ^ "U.S. Military Rank Insignia". defense.gov. Department of Defense. Retrieved 13 January 2022.

• Military ranks of Canada
• Military insignia
• Military ranks of Australia
• Naval ranks