Air force officer rank insignia
To assist in the comparison of different countries' air force officer rank insignia, NATO rank codes have been 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 up to OF-10; OF(D) being a special category for trainee officers awaiting a commission. 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 instances of overlap the codes still provide a useful gauge in determining what ranks are broadly equivalent.
NATO Code | OF-10 | OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-2 | OF-1 | OF(D) | Student Officer | ||||||||
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Argentina | ||||||||||||||||||||
No equivalent | Brigadier General (Brigadier General) | Brigadier Mayor (Brigadier-Major) | Brigadier (Brigadier) | No equivalent | Comodoro (Commodore) | Vicecomodoro (Vice-Commodore) | Mayor (Major) | Capitán (Captain) | Primer Teniente (First Lieutenant) | Teniente (Lieutenant) | Alférez (Ensign) | |||||||||
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Australia (Edit) |
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Marshal of the RAAF | Air Chief Marshal | Air Marshal | Air Vice-Marshal | Air Commodore | Group Captain | Wing Commander | Squadron Leader | Flight Lieutenant | Flying Officer | Pilot Officer | Officer Cadet | |||||||||
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Bangladesh (Edit) |
No Equivalent | |||||||||||||||||||
No Equivalent | Air Chief Marshal | Air Marshal | Air Vice-Marshal | Air Commodore | Group Captain | Wing Commander | Squadron Leader | Flight Lieutenant | Flying Officer | Pilot Officer | ||||||||||
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Belgium (Edit) |
No Equivalent |
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No Equivalent | No Equivalent | ||||||||||||||||
Général | Lieutenant général | Général-major | Général de Brigade | Colonel | Lieutenant-colonel | Major | Lieutenant | Sous-lieutenant | ||||||||||||
Generaal | Luitenant-generaal | Generaal-majoor | Brigadegeneraal | Kolonel | Luitenant-kolonel | Majoor | Luitenant | Onderluitenant | ||||||||||||
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Brazil | No equivalent | |||||||||||||||||||
Marechal-do-ar (Marshal of the Air) | Tenente-brigadeiro (Lieutenant-Brigadier) | Major-brigadeiro (Major-Brigadier) | Brigadeiro-do-ar Brigadier) |
No equivalent | Coronel (Colonel) | Tenente-coronel (Lieutenant-Colonel) | Major (Major) | Capitão (Captain) | Primeiro-tenente (First Lieutenant) | Segundo-tenente (Second Lieutenant) | Aspirante (Aspirant) | |||||||||
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Canada (Edit) | ||||||||||||||||||||
No Equivalent |
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No Equivalent | |||||||||||||||
General | Lieutenant General | Major-general | Brigadier-general | Colonel | Lieutenant Colonel | Major | Captain | Lieutenant | Second lieutenant |
Officer Cadet | ||||||||||
Général | Lieutenant-général | Major-général | Brigadier-général | Colonel | Lieutenant-colonel | Major | Capitaine | Lieutenant | Sous-lieutenant | Élève-Officier | ||||||||||
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Chile (Edit) |
No Equivalent | |||||||||||||||||||
No Equivalent | Air General | Aviation General | Air Brigade General | Commodore | Aviation Colonel | Group Commander | Squadron Commander | Flight Captain | Lieutenant | Sub-Lieutenant | Ensign | |||||||||
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Czech Republic (Edit) | No Equivalent | No Equivalent | ||||||||||||||||||
armádní generál | generálporučík | generálmajor | brigádní generál | plukovník | podplukovník | major | kapitán | nadporučík | poručík | podporučík | ||||||||||
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Denmark (Edit) |
No equivalent | No equivalent | ||||||||||||||||||
General | Generalløjtnant | Generalmajor | Brigadegeneral | Oberst | Oberstløjtnant | Major | Kaptajn | Premierløjtnant | Løjtnant | Sekondløjtnant | ||||||||||
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Dominican Republic (Edit) |
No Equivalent | No Equivalent | ||||||||||||||||||
No Equivalent | No Equivalent | Teniente General | Mayor General | General de Brigada | Coronel | Teniente Coronel | Mayor | Capitan | Primer Teniente | Segundo Teniente | Cadete | |||||||||
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France (Edit) |
No equivalent | |||||||||||||||||||
Général d´armée aérienne | Général de corps aérien | Général de division aérienne | Général de brigade aérienne | Colonel | Lieutenant-Colonel | Commandant | Capitaine | Lieutenant | Sous-Lieutenant | Aspirant | Élève-officier | |||||||||
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Greece (Edit) |
No equivalent | No equivalent | No equivalent | |||||||||||||||||
Πτέραρχος | Αντιπτέραρχος | Υποπτέραρχος | Ταξίαρχος | Σμήναρχος | Αντισμήναρχος | Επισμηναγός | Σμηναγός | Υποσμηναγός | Ανθυποσμηναγός | |||||||||||
Pterarchos | Antipterarchos | Ypopterarchos | Taxiarchos | Sminarchos | Antisminarchos | Episminagos | Sminagos | Yposminagos | Anthyposminagos | |||||||||||
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India (Edit) |
no equivalent | |||||||||||||||||||
Marshal of the IAF | Air Chief Marshal | Air Marshal | Air Vice-Marshal | Air Commodore | Group Captain | Wing Commander | Squadron Leader | Flight Lieutenant | Flying Officer | |||||||||||
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Italy (Edit) |
No equivalent | No equivalent | ||||||||||||||||||
Generale awarded only to the Chief of Defense Staff |
Generale di Squadra Aerea con Incarichi Speciali | Generale di Squadra Aerea | Generale di Divisione Aerea | Generale di Brigata Aerea | Colonnello | Tenente Colonnello | Maggiore | Capitano | Tenente | Sottotenente | ||||||||||
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Malaysia (Edit) |
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Marshal of the Air Force | General | Lieutenant General | Major General | Brigadier General | Colonel | Lieutenant Colonel | Major | Captain | Lieutenant | Sublieutenant | ||||||||||
Marsyal Tentera Udara | Jeneral | Leftenan Jeneral | Mejar Jeneral | Brigedier Jeneral | Kolonel | Leftenan Kolonel | Mejar | Kapten | Leftenan | Leftenan Muda | ||||||||||
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Mexico (Edit) |
No Equivalent | No Equivalent | No Equivalent | |||||||||||||||||
No Equivalent | No Equivalent | General de División | General de Ala | General de Grupo | Coronel | Teniente Coronel | Mayor | Capitan Primero | Capitán Segundo | Teniente | Subteniente | No Equivalent | ||||||||
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Netherlands (Edit) |
No equivalent | No equivalent | ||||||||||||||||||
Generaal | Luitenant-generaal | Generaal-majoor | Commodore | Kolonel | Luitenant-kolonel | Majoor | Kapitein | Eerste-luitenant | Tweede-luitenant | Vaandrig | ||||||||||
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New Zealand (Edit) |
No Equivalent | |||||||||||||||||||
Marshal of the RNZAF | Air Marshal | Air Vice-Marshal | Air Commodore | Group Captain | Wing Commander | Squadron Leader | Flight Lieutenant | Flying Officer | Pilot Officer | Officer Cadet | ||||||||||
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Poland (Edit) |
No equivalent | Various | ||||||||||||||||||
Marszałek Polski1 | Generał | Generał broni | Generał dywizji | Generał brygady | Pułkownik | Podpułkownik | Major | Kapitan | Porucznik | Podporucznik | Podchorąży | |||||||||
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Portugal (Edit) |
Vários | |||||||||||||||||||
Marechal1 | General | Tenente- -General |
Major- -General |
Brigadeiro- -General |
Coronel | Tenente- -Coronel |
Major | Capitão | Tenente | Alferes | Aspirante-a-Oficial | Cadete- -Aluno | ||||||||
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Romania (Edit) |
No Equivalent | No Equivalent | ||||||||||||||||||
Mareșal1 | General | General-locotenent | General-maior | General de flotilă aeriană | Comandor | Căpitan-comandor | Locotenent-comandor | Căpitan | Locotenent | Sublocotenent | ||||||||||
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Thailand (Edit) |
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จอมพลอากาศ | พลอากาศเอก | พลอากาศโท | พลอากาศตรี | พลอากาศจัตวา | นาวาอากาศเอก | นาวาอากาศโท | นาวาอากาศตรี | เรืออากาศเอก | เรืออากาศโท | เรืออากาศตรี | นักเรียนนายเรืออากาศ | |||||||||
Marshal of the Air Force | Air Chief Marshal | Air Marshal | Air Vice Marshal | Air Comodore | Group Captain | Wing Commander | Squadron Leader | Flight Lieutenant | Flying Officer | Pilot Officer | Air Cadet | |||||||||
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Sweden | No equivalent | |||||||||||||||||||
No equivalent | General | Generallöjtnant | Generalmajor | Brigadgeneral | Överste | Överstelöjtnant | Major | Kapten | Löjtnant | Fänrik | ||||||||||
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Ukraine (Edit) | No equivalent |
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No equivalent | |||||||||||||||||
Генерал армії України | Генерал-полковник | Генерал-лейтенант | Генерал-майор | Полковник | Підполковник | Майор | Капітан | Старший лейтенант |
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Курсмант | ||||||||||
General Armii Ukrainy | General Polkovnyk | Lieutenant general | Major general | Polkovnik | Podpolkovnik | Major | Kapitan | Senior Lieutenant |
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Cadet | ||||||||||
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United Kingdom (Edit) |
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Marshal of the Royal Air Force1 | Air Chief Marshal | Air Marshal | Air Vice-Marshal | Air Commodore | Group Captain | Wing Commander | Squadron Leader | Flight Lieutenant | Flying Officer | Pilot Officer | Acting Pilot Officer | Officer Cadet | ||||||||
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United States (Edit) |
Various | Various | ||||||||||||||||||
General of the Air Force1 | General | Lieutenant General | Major General | Brigadier General | Colonel | Lieutenant Colonel | Major | Captain | First Lieutenant | Second Lieutenant | Officer Trainee | Officer Cadet | ||||||||
NATO Code | OF-10 | OF-9 | OF-8 | OF-7 | OF-6 | OF-5 | OF-4 | OF-3 | OF-2 | OF-1 | OF(D) | Student Officer |
- 1 Honorary/War time rank.
- 2 Rank no longer in use.
Note that the NATO officer rank codes (OF-1 to OF-10) are differently numbered from the US officer rank codes (O-1 to O-11).
See also
- Air force officer ranks
- United States Air Force officer rank insignia
- Ranks and insignia of NATO Air Forces Officers
- RAF officer ranks