| Hierarchy of naval officer ranks |
| Flag officers: |
|---|
| Admiral of the navy Admiral of the fleet • Fleet admiral |
| Senior officers: |
|
Fleet captain • Post captain |
| Junior officers: |
|
Captain lieutenant • Flag lieutenant |
| Training officers: |
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, meaning "secondary admiral".[1]
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, Flotillenadmiral ranks below Konteradmiral; in the Canadian Navy, contre-amiral/Rear Admiral ranks above commodore).