It has been suggested that this article should be split into a new article titled Royal Australian Navy ranks . (discuss) (May 2023) |
The Australian Defence Force's (ADF) ranks of officers and enlisted personnel in each of its three service branches of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), the Australian Army, and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) inherited their rank structures from their British counterparts. The insignia used to identify these ranks are also generally similar to those used in the British Armed Forces.
The following tables show the "equivalent rank and classifications" for the three services, as defined in the ADF Pay and Conditions Manual. [1] "Equivalent rank" means the corresponding rank set out under Regulation 8 of the Defence Force Regulations 1952. [2]
NATO code | Aus/US code | Navy | Army | RAAF |
---|---|---|---|---|
Flag/General/Air officers [1] [3] | ||||
OF-10 | O-11 [lower-alpha 1] | Admiral of the Fleet | Field Marshal | Marshal of the RAAF |
OF-9 | O-10 [lower-alpha 2] | Admiral | General | Air Chief Marshal |
OF-8 | O-9 [lower-alpha 3] | Vice Admiral | Lieutenant general | Air Marshal |
OF-7 | O-8 | Rear Admiral | Major General | Air Vice Marshal |
OF-6 | O-7 [lower-alpha 4] | Air Commodore | ||
Senior officers | ||||
OF-6 | O-7 [d] | Commodore | Brigadier | — |
OF-5 | O-6 [d] | Captain (RAN) | Colonel | Group Captain |
OF-4 | O-5 [d] | Commander | Lieutenant Colonel | Wing Commander |
OF-3 | O-4 [d] | Lieutenant Commander | Major | Squadron Leader |
Junior officers | ||||
OF-2 | O-3 [d] | Lieutenant | Captain (Army) | Flight Lieutenant |
OF-1 | O-2 | Sub Lieutenant | Lieutenant | Flying Officer |
OF-1 | O-1 | Acting Sub Lieutenant | Second Lieutenant | Pilot Officer |
— | O-0 | Midshipman | — | Officer Cadet |
Cadets | ||||
— | — | — | Officer Cadet/Staff Cadet(RMC) | - |
NATO code | Aus/US code | Navy | Army | RAAF |
---|---|---|---|---|
Warrant officers | ||||
OR-10 | E-10 | WO-N | Warrant Officer | WOFF-AF |
OR-9 | E-9 | Warrant Officer | Warrant Officer Class 1 | Warrant officer |
OR-8 | E-8 | — | Warrant Officer Class 2 | — |
NATO code | Aus/US code | Navy | Army | RAAF |
---|---|---|---|---|
Senior non-commissioned officers | ||||
OR-8 | E-8 | Chief Petty Officer | — | Flight Sergeant |
OR-7 | E-7 | — | Staff Sergeant [1] [lower-alpha 5] | — |
OR-6 | E-6 | Petty Officer | Sergeant | Sergeant |
Junior non-commissioned officers | ||||
OR-5 | E-5 | Leading Seaman | Corporal/Bombardier | Corporal |
OR-4 | E-4 | — | Lance Corporal/Bombardier | — |
NATO Code | Aus/US Code | Navy | Army | RAAF |
---|---|---|---|---|
Enlisted | ||||
OR-3 | E-3 | Able Seaman | Private proficient* (E-2) | Leading Aircraftman/Leading Aircraftwoman |
OR-2 | E-2 | Seaman | Private | Aircraftman/Aircraftwoman |
The rank insignia for commissioned officers for the navy, army and air force respectively.
Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | Officer cadet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Royal Australian Navy [5] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Admiral of the fleet | Admiral | Vice admiral | Rear admiral | Commodore | Captain | Commander | Lieutenant commander | Lieutenant | Sub lieutenant | Acting sub lieutenant | Midshipman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Australian Army [5] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Field marshal | General | Lieutenant general | Major general | Brigadier | Colonel | Lieutenant colonel | Major | Captain | Lieutenant | Second lieutenant | Officer cadet | Staff cadet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Royal Australian Air Force [5] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | Officer cadet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The rank insignia for enlisted personnel for the navy, army and air force respectively.
Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Royal Australian Navy [5] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Warrant Officer of the Navy | Warrant officer | Chief petty officer | Petty officer | Leading seaman | Able seaman | Seaman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Australian Army [5] | No insignia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Regimental sergeant major of the army | Warrant officer class 1 | Warrant officer class 2 | Sergeant | Corporal | Lance corporal | Private (or equivalent) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Royal Australian Air Force [6] [5] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Warrant Officer of the Air Force | Warrant officer | Flight sergeant | Sergeant | Corporal | Leading aircraftman/ aircraftwoman | Aircraftman/ aircraftwoman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted |
The historical changes to rank insignia for enlisted personnel of the navy. [7]
Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australian Army (-2019) | No insignia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Regimental sergeant major of the army | Warrant officer class 1 | Warrant officer class 2 | Staff sergeant | Sergeant | Corporal | Lance corporal | Private (or equivalent) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Australian Army (2019-Present) | No insignia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Regimental sergeant major of the army | Warrant officer class 1 | Warrant officer class 2 | Sergeant | Corporal | Lance corporal | Private (or equivalent) |
Note: Staff sergeants still exist, but no one is promoted into the role.
Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned officer ranks, the most senior of the non-commissioned officer (NCO) ranks, or in a separate category of their own. Warrant officer ranks are especially prominent in the militaries of Commonwealth nations and the United States.
Regimental sergeant major (RSM) is an appointment that may be held by a warrant officer (WO) in the British Army, the Royal Marines, and the armies of many other Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations. It is also an actual rank in the Irish Defence Forces, and formerly in the British Army, Royal Marines and United States Army. Only one warrant officer holds the appointment of RSM in any regiment or battalion, making them the senior warrant officer; in a unit with more than one top-ranked WO, the RSM is considered to be first amongst equals". The RSM is primarily responsible for assisting their commander in maintaining standards and discipline amongst the non-commissioned members and acts as a parental figure to their subordinates, sometimes referred to by the mantra "Drill, Dress and Discipline".
Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corresponds to commanding a section or squad of soldiers.
Staff sergeant is a rank of non-commissioned officer used in the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services.
Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world.
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Chief Warrant officer is a senior warrant officer rank, used in many countries.
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