Comparative air force officer ranks of Anglophone countries

Last updated May 13, 2024

Rank comparison chart of officers for air forces of Anglophone states.

Officers

Rank group	General/Flag/Air officers					Senior officers					Junior officers			Officer cadet
Antigua and Barbuda	No air force
Royal Australian Air Force ^[1] v t e
Royal Australian Air Force ^[1] v t e	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
Bahamas	No air force
Barbados	No air force
Belize Defence Force Air Wing v t e
Belize Defence Force Air Wing v t e										Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second lieutenant	Officer cadet
Botswana Defence Force Air Wing ^[2] v t e
Botswana Defence Force Air Wing ^[2] v t e				Major general	Brigadier	Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major	Captain	First lieutenant	Second lieutenant
Burundi	No air force
Cameroon Air Force v t e
Cameroon Air Force v t e		Général d'armée aérienne	Général de corps aérien	Général de division aérienne	Général de brigade aérienne	Colonel		Lieutenant-Colonel		Commandant	Capitaine	Lieutenant	Sous-Lieutenant
Royal Canadian Air Force ^[3]^[4] v t e
		General	Lieutenant-general	Major-general	Brigadier-general	Colonel		Lieutenant-colonel		Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second lieutenant	Officer cadet
		Général(e)	Lieutenant(e)-général(e)	Major(e)-général(e)	Brigadier(ère)-général(e)	Colonel(le)		Lieutenant(e)-colonel(le)		Major(e)	Capitaine	Lieutenant(e)	Sous-lieutenant(e)	Élève-officier(ère)
Dominica	No air force
Fiji	No air force
Gambia	No air force
Ghana Air Force ^[5] v t e
Ghana Air Force ^[5] v t e		Air chief marshal	Air marshal	Air vice-marshal	Air commodore	Group captain		Wing commander		Squadron leader	Flight lieutenant	Flying officer	Pilot officer
Grenada	No air force
Guyana Air Corps v t e
Guyana Air Corps v t e								Lieutenant Colonel		Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second lieutenant	Officer Cadet
Haitian Air Force v t e
Haitian Air Force v t e
Indian Air Force ^[6] v t e
Indian Air Force ^[6] v t e	Marshal of the Indian Air Force मार्शल ऑफ द इंडियन एयरफोर्स	Air chief marshal एयर चीफ मार्शल	Air marshal एयर मार्शल	Air vice marshal एयर वाइस मार्शल	Air commodore एयर कमोडोर	Group captain ग्रुप कैप्टन		Wing commander विंग कमांडर		Squadron leader स्क्वाड्रन लीडर	Flight lieutenant फ्लाइट लैफ्टिनेंट	Flying officer फ्लाइंग अफसर		Flight cadet फ्लाइट कैडेट
Irish Air Corps ^[7] v t e
			Lieutenant-general	Major-general	Brigadier-general	Colonel		Lieutenant-colonel		Commandant	Captain	Lieutenant	Second-lieutenant
			Lefteanant-ghinearál	Maor-ghinearál	Briogáidire-ghinearál	Cornal		Lefteanant-chornal		Ceannfort	Captaen	Lefteanant	Dara-lefteanant
Jamaican Air Wing v t e
Jamaican Air Wing v t e								Lieutenant Colonel		Major	Captain	First Lieutenant	Second Lieutenant	Officer Cadet
Kenya Air Force ^[8] v t e
Kenya Air Force ^[8] v t e	Commander-in-Chief	General	Lieutenant general	Major general	Brigadier	Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second lieutenant
Kiribati	No air force
Lesotho Air Squadron v t e
Lesotho Air Squadron v t e			Lieutenant general	Major general	Brigadier	Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major	Captain	First lieutenant	Second lieutenant
Liberian Air Wing ^[9] v t e
Liberian Air Wing ^[9] v t e						Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second lieutenant
Malawi Air Force v t e
Malawi Air Force v t e		General	Lieutenant General	Major General	Brigadier General	Colonel		Lieutenant Colonel		Major	Captain	First Lieutenant	Second Lieutenant
Malian Air Force ^[10] v t e
Malian Air Force ^[10] v t e		Général d'armée	Général de corps d'armée	Général de division	Général de brigade	Colonel-major	Colonel	Lieutenant-colonel		Commandant	Capitaine	Lieutenant	Sous-lieutenant
Marshall Islands	No air force
Mauritius	No air force
Federated States of Micronesia	No air force
Namibian Air Force ^[11] v t e
Namibian Air Force ^[11] v t e		Chief air marshal	Air marshal	Air vice marshal	Air commodore	Group captain		Wing commander		Squadron leader	Flight lieutenant	Flying officer	Pilot officer
Nauru	No air force
Royal New Zealand Air Force ^[12] v t e
Royal New Zealand Air Force ^[12] v t e	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
Nigerian Air Force ^[13] v t e
Nigerian Air Force ^[13] v t e	Marshal of the air force	Air chief marshal	Air marshal	Air vice-marshal	Air commodore	Group captain		Wing commander		Squadron leader	Flight lieutenant	Flying officer	Pilot officer
Pakistan Air Force v t e
	Marshal of the Pakistan Air Force	Air chief marshal	Air marshal	Air vice marshal	Air commodore	Group captain		Wing commander		Squadron leader	Flight lieutenant	Flying officer	Pilot officer	Officer cadet
	سالار فضائیہ	امیرسالار فضائیہ	سالار فضائیہ	سالار فضائیہ مقابل	عَمِيد الفضاء	سردار جماعت		شارف الجناح		قائدِ دستہ	نقیبِ پرواز	منصبِ طیار
Palau	No air force
Papua New Guinea Air Element v t e
Papua New Guinea Air Element v t e						Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major	Captain	First lieutenant	Second lieutenant	Senior officer cadet	Junior officer cadet
Philippine Air Force ^[14] v t e
Philippine Air Force ^[14] v t e		General	Lieutenant general	Major general	Brigadier general	Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major	Captain	First lieutenant	Second lieutenant
Rwandan Air Force ^[15] v t e
Rwandan Air Force ^[15] v t e		General	Lieutenant general	Major general	Brigadier general	Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second lieutenant
Saint Kitts and Nevis	No air force
Saint Lucia	No air force
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	No air force
Samoa	No air force
Seychelles Air Force ^[16] v t e
Seychelles Air Force ^[16] v t e					Brigadier	Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second lieutenant	Officer cadet
Sierra Leone	No air force
Republic of Singapore Air Force ^[17] v t e		No insignia yet
Republic of Singapore Air Force ^[17] v t e		General	Lieutenant general	Major general	Brigadier general	Colonel		Senior lieutenant colonel	Lieutenant colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second lieutenant	Officer cadet
Solomon Islands	No air force
South African Air Force ^[18] v t e
South African Air Force ^[18] v t e		General	Lieutenant general	Major general	Brigadier general	Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second lieutenant	Officer candidate
South Sudan v t e
South Sudan v t e	Air Marshal	General	Lieutenant general	Major general	Brigadier general	Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major	Captain	First lieutenant	Second lieutenant	Officer cadet
Sudanese Air Force ^[19] v t e
Sudanese Air Force ^[19] v t e		فريق أول‎‎ Fariq 'awal	فريق Fariq	لواء Liwa	عميد Amid	عقيد Aqid		مقدم Muqaddam		رائد Ra'id	نقيب Naqib	ملازم أول Mulazim awwal	ملازم Mulazim
Tanzania Air Force v t e
Tanzania Air Force v t e		General	Lieutenant general	Major general	Brigadier general	Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second lieutenant	Officer candidate
Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard ^[20] v t e
Trinidad and Tobago Air Guard ^[20] v t e				Air vice marshal	Air commodore	Group captain		Wing commander		Squadron leader	Flight lieutenant	Flying officer	Pilot officer	Officer cadet
Tuvalu	No air force
Ugandan Air Force v t e
Ugandan Air Force v t e		General	Lieutenant General	Major General	Brigadier	Colonel		Lieutenant Colonel		Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second Lieutenant	Officer cadet
Royal Air Force ^[21] v t e
Royal Air Force ^[21] v t e	Marshal of the RAF	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
United States Air Force ^[22] v t e														(Various insignia)
United States Air Force ^[22] v t e	General of the Air Force	General	Lieutenant general	Major general	Brigadier general	Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major	Captain	First lieutenant	Second lieutenant	Cadet / Officer trainee
Vanuatu	No air force
Zambian Air Force v t e
Zambian Air Force v t e		General	Lieutenant General	Major General	Brigadier	Colonel		Lieutenant Colonel		Major	Captain	First Lieutenant	Second Lieutenant
Air Force of Zimbabwe ^[23] v t e
Air Force of Zimbabwe ^[23] v t e		Air chief marshal	Air marshal	Air vice-marshal	Air commodore	Group Captain		Wing commander		Squadron leader	Flight lieutenant	Air lieutenant	Air sub-lieutenant
Rank group	General/Flag/Air officers					Senior officers					Junior officers			Officer cadet

Related Research Articles

Squadron leader is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence.

Group captain is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence.

Air commodore is a air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure.

Air vice-marshal is a air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure.

Air marshal is an air-officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence, including many Commonwealth nations. The rank is usually equivalent to a vice admiral or a lieutenant general.

Air chief marshal is a high-ranking air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. This rank is also equivalent to an Admiral in a navy or a full general in an army or other nations' air forces.

Flight lieutenant is a junior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank originated in the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) in 1914. It fell into abeyance when the RNAS merged with the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War but was revived in 1919 in the post-war RAF. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence.

Flight sergeant is a senior non-commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and several other air forces which have adopted all or part of the RAF rank structure. It is equivalent to a staff sergeant or colour sergeant in the British Army, a colour sergeant in the Royal Marines, and a chief petty officer in the Royal Navy, and has a NATO rank code of OR-7. In the RAF, flight sergeant ranks above chief technician and below warrant officer.

The following are the ranks and insignia of NATO Air Forces Enlisted personnel for each member nation.

The following table lists the ranks and insignia of officers in NATO air forces.

Rank comparison chart of all air forces of European states.

Rank comparison chart of air forces of Commonwealth of Nations states.

This is a rank comparison chart of air force officer ranks of African states.

Rank comparison of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel for air forces of African states.

Comparison of ranks and insignia of all current and former space forces, to include aerospace forces and air and space forces or air forces with space units and formations.

Rank comparison chart of officers for armies/land forces of Anglophone states.

Rank comparison chart of officers for navies of Anglophone states.

Rank comparison chart of Non-commissioned officer and enlisted ranks for navies of Anglophone states.

Rank comparison chart of Non-commissioned officer and enlisted ranks for air forces of Anglophone states.

References

↑ "Badges of rank" (PDF). defence.gov.au. Department of Defence (Australia). Retrieved 31 May 2021.
↑ "Ranks". Government of Botswana. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2016.
↑ "Ranks and appointment". canada.ca. Government of Canada. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
↑ "The Canadian Armed Forces modernizes military ranks in French". Canada. Government of Canada. 3 February 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
↑ "Rank Structure". gafonline.mil.gh. Ghana Air Force. 2018. Archived from the original on 21 January 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
↑ "For Officers". careerairforce.nic.in. Indian Air Force. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
↑ "Air Corps Rank Markings". military.ie. Defence Forces (Ireland). Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
↑ "Kenya Air Force commissioned officer's ranks". mod.go.ke. Ministry of Defence - Kenya. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
↑ "Defense Act of 2008" (PDF). 3 September 2008. p. 8. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
↑ "2011 - Plaquette sur les insignes et blasons des Forces Armées du Mali" (in French). 23 April 2011. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
↑ "Government Notice" (PDF). Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia. Vol. 4547. 20 August 2010. pp. 99–102. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
↑ "Badges of Rank" (PDF). nzdf.mil.nz. New Zealand Defence Force. Retrieved 28 July 2022.
↑ 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.
↑ "Ranks". paf.mil.ph. Philippine Air Force. Archived from the original on 18 October 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
↑ "RDF Insignia". mod.gov.rw. Government of the Republic of Rwanda. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
↑ "Rank structure". spdf.sc. Seychelles People's Defence Forces. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
↑ "SAF Rank Insignias". mindef.gov.sg. Ministry of Defence (Singapore). Retrieved 7 June 2021.
↑ "Rank Insignia". af.mil.za. Department of Defence (South Africa). Archived from the original on 1 January 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
↑ "الرتب العسكرية" [Military ranks]. mod.gov.sd/ (in Arabic). Republic of Sudan Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 19 November 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
↑ "Rank Chart (Commissioned Officers)". 69.0.195.188. Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
↑ "RAF Ranks". raf.mod.uk/. Royal Air Force . Retrieved 21 September 2021.
↑ "U.S. Military Rank Insignia". defense.gov. Department of Defense. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
↑ "RANKS AND BADGES IN THE AFZ". afz.gov.zw. Air Force of Zimbabwe. Archived from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2021.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[Australia-1] "Badges of rank" (PDF). defence.gov.au. Department of Defence (Australia). Retrieved 31 May 2021.

[Botswana-2] "Ranks". Government of Botswana. Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2016.

[Canada-3] "Ranks and appointment". canada.ca. Government of Canada. Retrieved 28 May 2021.

[CA-Female-4] "The Canadian Armed Forces modernizes military ranks in French". Canada. Government of Canada. 3 February 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2024.

[Ghana_AirForce-5] "Rank Structure". gafonline.mil.gh. Ghana Air Force. 2018. Archived from the original on 21 January 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2024.

[6] "For Officers". careerairforce.nic.in. Indian Air Force. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2021.

[Ireland_AirForce-7] "Air Corps Rank Markings". military.ie. Defence Forces (Ireland). Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2021.

[8] "Kenya Air Force commissioned officer's ranks". mod.go.ke. Ministry of Defence - Kenya. Retrieved 17 January 2022.

[Liberia-9] "Defense Act of 2008" (PDF). 3 September 2008. p. 8. Retrieved 20 November 2017.

[Mali-10] "2011 - Plaquette sur les insignes et blasons des Forces Armées du Mali" (in French). 23 April 2011. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2020.

[Namibia-11] "Government Notice" (PDF). Government Gazette of the Republic of Namibia. Vol. 4547. 20 August 2010. pp. 99–102. Retrieved 20 December 2021.

[NewZealand-12] "Badges of Rank" (PDF). nzdf.mil.nz. New Zealand Defence Force. Retrieved 28 July 2022.

[Nigeria-13] 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.

[Philippines_AirForce-14] "Ranks". paf.mil.ph. Philippine Air Force. Archived from the original on 18 October 2020. Retrieved 27 May 2021.

[Rwanda-15] "RDF Insignia". mod.gov.rw. Government of the Republic of Rwanda. Retrieved 12 June 2021.

[Seychelles-16] "Rank structure". spdf.sc. Seychelles People's Defence Forces. Retrieved 4 June 2021.

[Singapore-17] "SAF Rank Insignias". mindef.gov.sg. Ministry of Defence (Singapore). Retrieved 7 June 2021.

[SouthAfrica_AirForce-18] "Rank Insignia". af.mil.za. Department of Defence (South Africa). Archived from the original on 1 January 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2021.

[Sudan-19] "الرتب العسكرية" [Military ranks]. mod.gov.sd/ (in Arabic). Republic of Sudan Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 19 November 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2021.

[Trinidad&Tobago_Officer-20] "Rank Chart (Commissioned Officers)". 69.0.195.188. Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force. Retrieved 27 May 2021.

[UK_AirForce-21] "RAF Ranks". raf.mod.uk/. Royal Air Force . Retrieved 21 September 2021.

[Dod_Ranks-22] "U.S. Military Rank Insignia". defense.gov. Department of Defense. Retrieved 13 January 2022.

[Zimbabwe_AirForce-23] "RANKS AND BADGES IN THE AFZ". afz.gov.zw. Air Force of Zimbabwe. Archived from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2021.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

[23]