Air force officer ranks

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Air forces of most of the countries use ranking system simular to Armies. However, the RAF and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries, or those formerly under a British influence, use a different set of ranks loosely based on naval equivalents; Lieutenant, Commander, Captain and Commodore are prefixed for air force use with Flight, Wing, Group and Air, respectively (the first three being the units that they used to command).

NATO Rank Codes

To assist in the comparison of ranks in the armed forces of different countries, established NATO rank codes are used. These are established codes for determining the seniority of officer and other ranks in NATO countries for a particular joint task group or command structure, although specific appointments designate a higher level of seniority over other equivalent rank codes in a given situation. Officer ranks go from OF-1 (applying to all subaltern officers below captain) up to OF-10; OF(D) being a special category for trainee officers awaiting a commission. Other Ranks (those considered enlisted men in the United States forces) are classified from OR-1 to OR-9. The system should not be confused with the pay grades used in the US military. While countries outside the NATO command structure (including some NATO member countries such as France) do not strictly fall into this classification structure and there may be incidences of overlap (particularly in OR ranks between countries) the codes still provide a useful gauge in determining what ranks are broadly equivalent.

Generals/Marshals/Air Officers

These are the highest ranks. Promotion to a rank above OF-9 is now rare and usually reserved for wartime. General of the Air Force is an example of such a rank.

Note that there is doubt about rank equivalency in countries that have both colonel-generals and generals but no brigadier-generals, such as German Empire and Russia - often it is considered that in these countries a colonel-general equates to an OF-9 rank, a general to OF-8, a lieutenant-general to OF-7, and a major-general to OF-6 (i.e. the ranks below colonel-general all move down one grade).

Country	OF-10	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6
Albania		Gjeneral	Gjenerallejtnant	Gjeneralmajor	Gjeneralbrigad
Argentina		Brigadier General	Brigadier Mayor	Brigadier
Australia	Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force	Air Chief Marshal	Air Marshal	Air Vice-Marshal	Air Commodore
Austria		General	Generalleutnant	Generalmajor	Brigadier
Belarus			General-polkovnik	General-leytenant	General-mayor
Belgium		Generaal Général	Luitenant-generaal Lieutenant-général	Generaal-majoor Général-major	Brigadegeneraal Général de brigade
Canada		General	Lieutenant-General	Major-General	Brigadier-General
Croatia	Stožerni general	General zbora	General pukovnik	General bojnik	Brigadni general
France	Maréchal de France¹	Général d'armée aérienne	Général de corps d'armée aérien	Général de division aérienne	Général de brigade aérienne
Germany		General	Generalleutnant	Generalmajor	Brigadegeneral
Israel			Rav-aluf	Aluf	Tat-aluf
Latvia			Ğenerãlleitnants	Ğenerãlmajors	Brigādes ģenerãlis
New Zealand			Air Marshal	Air Vice-Marshal	Air Commodore
Poland		Generał	Generał broni	Generał dywizji	Generał brygady
Russia (Soviet Union)	General armii (Marshal Aviatsii)	General-polkovnik	General-leytenant	General-mayor
Spain	Capitán General	General de Ejercito	Teniente General	General de División	General de Brigada
Turkey	Hava Mareşalı	Hava Kuvvetleri Komutanı Orgeneral	Korgeneral	Tümgeneral	Tuğgeneral
United Kingdom	Marshal of the Royal Air Force	Air Chief Marshal	Air Marshal	Air Vice-Marshal	Air Commodore
United States	General of the Air Force	General	Lieutenant General	Major General	Brigadier General

¹ No officer of the French Air Force has ever been created a Maréchal.

Other officers

Country	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1
Albania	Kolonel	Nënkolonel	Major	Kapiten	Toger	Nëntoger
Argentina	Comodoro	Vicecomodoro	Mayor	Capitán	Primer Teniente	Teniente	Alférez
Australia	Group Captain	Wing Commander	Squadron Leader	Flight Lieutenant	Flying Officer	Pilot Officer
Belarus	Polkovnik	Podpolkovnik	Mayor	Kapitan	Starshiy leytenant	Leytenant	Mladshiy Leytenant
Belgium	Kolonel Colonel	Luitenant-kolonel Lieutenant-colonel	Majoor Major Kapitein-commandant Capitaine-commandant	Kapitein Capitaine	Luitenant Lieutenant	Onderluitenant Sous-lieutenant
Canada	Colonel	Lieutenant-Colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second-Lieutenant
Croatia	Brigadir	Pukovnik	Bojnik	Satnik	Nadporučnik	Poručnik
France	Colonel	Lieutenant-Colonel	Commandant	Capitaine	Lieutenant	Sous-Lieutenant	Aspirant
Germany	Oberst	Oberstleutnant	Major	Stabshauptmann Hauptmann	Oberleutnant	Leutnant	Oberfähnrich / Fähnrich
Israel	Aluf mishne	Sgan aluf	Rav seren	Seren	Segen	Segen mishne
Latvia	Pulkvedis	Pulkvežleitnants	Majors	Kapteinis	Virslietnants	Lietnants
New Zealand	Group Captain	Wing Commander	Squadron Leader	Flight Lieutenant	Flying Officer	Pilot Officer
Poland	Pułkownik	Podpułkownik	Major	Kapitan	Porucznik	Podporucznik
Russia	Polkovnik	Podpolkovnik	Mayor	Kapitan	Starshiy leytenant	Leytenant aviatsii	Mladshiy leytenant
Slovakia	Plukovník	Podplukovník	Major	Kapitán	Poručík	Podporučík
Spain	Coronel	Teniente Coronel	Comandante	Capitan	Teniente	Alferez
Turkey	Albay	Yarbay	Binbaşı	Yüzbaşı	Üsteğmen	Teğmen	Asteğmen
United Kingdom	Group Captain	Wing Commander	Squadron Leader	Flight Lieutenant	Flying Officer	Pilot Officer	Acting Pilot Officer
United States	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	1st Lieutenant	2nd Lieutenant

See also

• Army officer ranks
• Naval officer ranks
• Comparative military ranks
• RAF officer ranks

 

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