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".
Etymology
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.[citation needed]
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 created in 1939 for
Darlan, who was the only person in French history to hold that title. Amiral de la flotte became a rank in 1942, when Darlan was commander in chief of the military forces of the
Vichy Regime. The rank of Amiral de la flotte was still mentioned in French laws in 1957.[1]
NATO code
While the rank of admiral of the fleet/fleet admiral is used in some of
NATO countries, it is ranked differently depending on the country.
^"Pangkat". mafhq.mil.my (in Malay). Malaysian Armed Forces. Archived from
the original on 29 April 2020. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
^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.
LCCN92009026. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
^"Badges of Rank". nzdf.mil.nz. New Zealand Defence Force. Archived from
the original on 3 July 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2021.