Military ranks and insignia of Norway

Last updated October 30, 2024

Military ranks and rank insignia of Norway were changed June 1, 2016, with the reintroduction of the Non-Commissioned Officer Corps, and the abolishment of the one-tier officer system in place since 1975.^[1]

New system of 2023

The Storting adopted in 2015 the new scheme for military personnel, Militærordningen.^[1] From 2016, the Norwegian Defence Forces have two career ladders for the military personnel; one officer scheme for personnel with a degree from the military academy, or a university degree and qualification courses, and a non-commissioned officer scheme for personnel with non-commissioned officer school.^[2]^[3] In 2023 the ranks of Korporal 1. klasse, Ledende konstabel, and Seniorspesialist were removed and the navy adopted new enlisted rank insignia.

Commissioned officers

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

NATO code	OF-10	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1
Norwegian Army ^[4] v t e
Norwegian Army ^[4] v t e		General	Generalløytnant	Generalmajor	Brigader	Oberst	Oberstløytnant	Major	Kaptein/ Rittmester	Løytnant	Fenrik
Royal Norwegian Navy ^[4] v t e
Royal Norwegian Navy ^[4] v t e		Admiral	Viseadmiral	Kontreadmiral	Flaggkommandør	Kommandør	Kommandørkaptein	Orlogskaptein	Kapteinløytnant	Løytnant	Fenrik
Royal Norwegian Air Force ^[4] v t e
Royal Norwegian Air Force ^[4] v t e		General	Generalløytnant	Generalmajor	Brigader	Oberst	Oberstløytnant	Major	Kaptein	Løytnant	Fenrik
NATO code	OF-10	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1

Student officer ranks

NATO code	OF-1
Norwegian Army ^[5]
Norwegian Army ^[5]	Kadett i 3.avdeling	Kadett i 2. avdeling	Kadett i 1.avdeling	Kadett i KS Gjennomgående

Other ranks

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

NATO code	OR-9	OR-8	OR-7	OR-6	OR-5		OR-4	OR-3	OR-2	OR-1
Norwegian Army ^[4] v t e
Norwegian Army ^[4] v t e	Sersjantmajor	Kommandérsersjant	Stabssersjant	Oversersjant	Sersjant 1. klasse	Sersjant	Korporal	Visekorporal 1. klasse	Visekorporal	Ledende menig	Menig
Royal Norwegian Navy ^[4] v t e
Royal Norwegian Navy ^[4] v t e	Flaggmester	Orlogsmester	Flotiljemester	Skvadronmester	Senior kvartermester	Kvartermester	Konstabel	Senior visekonstabel	Visekonstabel	Ledende menig	Menig
Royal Norwegian Air Force ^[4] v t e
Royal Norwegian Air Force ^[4] v t e	Sersjantmajor	Kommandérsersjant	Stabssersjant	Oversersjant	Vingsersjant	Sersjant	Ledende spesialist	Spesialist	Visespesialist	Ledende flysoldat	Flysoldat
NATO code	OR-9	OR-8	OR-7	OR-6	OR-5		OR-4	OR-3	OR-2	OR-1

Chief NCOs

NATO code	OR-9	OR-8	OR-7	OR-6
Norwegian Army ^[5]
Norwegian Army ^[5]	Sersjantmajor	Kommandérsersjant	Stabssersjant	Oversersjant
Royal Norwegian Navy
Royal Norwegian Navy	Flaggmester	Orlogsmester	Flotiljemester	Skvadronmester
Royal Norwegian Air Force
Royal Norwegian Air Force	Sersjantmajor	Kommandérsersjant	Stabssersjant	Oversersjant

Historic ranks

System 1916–1930

Officers

Rank group				Senior officers			Junior officers
Norwegian Army Shoulder boards were only worn on the greatcoat.^[6]
	General	Generalløjtnant	Generalmajor	Oberst	Oberstløitnant	Major	Kaptein/ Rittmester	Premierløitnant	Sekondløitnant
Royal Norwegian Navy ^[7]
Royal Norwegian Navy ^[7]	Admiral	Viseadmiral	Kontreadmiral	Kommandør	Kommandørkaptein	Kaptein	Kapteinløytnant	Premierløitnant	Sekondløitnant

Enlisted

Rank group	Non-commissioned officer				Enlisted
Norwegian Army							No insignia
Norwegian Army	Fanejunker	Kommandersersjant	Furer	Sersjant	Korporal		Menig
Royal Norwegian Navy
Royal Norwegian Navy	Underofficer 2den grad	Underofficer 3dje grad	Underofficer 4de grad	Underofficer 5te grad	Menig I klasse	Menig I klasse	Menig III klasse

System ?–1975

Officers

Rank group					Senior officers			Junior officers
Army
Army	General	Generalløjtnant	Generalmajor		Oberst	Oberstløitnant	Major	Kaptein/ Rittmester	Premierløitnant	Sekondløitnant
Navy
Navy	Admiral	Viseadmiral	Kontreadmiral	Kommandør		Kommandørkaptein	Kaptein		Premierløitnant	Sekondløitnant	Kadet

Enlisted

System 1975–2016

Norway did not have a non-commissioned officer system and thus Sergeant and Petty officer are grouped with the officers under the common designation befal. The officers are divided into three groups: The befal (company officers, ranks Ensign to Captain inclusive), the staff officers (stabsoffiser, ranks Major to brigadier inclusive), and the generals (Major General to General inclusive).

Fenrik (Ensign) used to be referred to as Second Lieutenant (Norwegian : Fenrik), while the rank of lieutenant went by First Lieutenant. The rank of Brigadier is not an old tradition in the Norwegian armed forces and was instated as a replacement for Oberst I (First Colonel); what is now Oberst used to be Oberst II (Second Colonel). As shown, the Cavalry have two ranks which differ from the regular Army: Dragon (Dragoon) instead of Menig (Private), and Rittmester (Rittmeister) instead of Kaptein (Captain).

The ranks of Grenader and Matros were bestowed upon soldiers who have finished the 12 months compulsory service and had signed one or more three-year contracts to continue serving. The ranks of Visekorporal/Visekonstabel/Vingsoldat (Corporal/Leading Rate) were usually ascribed to soldiers with long and/or outstanding service, though may be bestowed on soldiers with extra responsibilities (e.g. the shift-commander among a group of soldiers on guard-duty). A UB-Korporal/Kvartermesteraspirant (Rate Corporal/Petty Officer-in-training) was a soldier who has finished the UB course (Utskrevet Befalskurs), a course intended to prepare conscripted soldiers for non-commissioned officer duties, but still under training in "the field". After one-year course and service these soldiers were qualified for the rank of Sersjant or Kvartermester.

Officers

NATO code	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1
Army & Air force
Army & Air force	General	Generalløytnant	Generalmajor	Brigader	Oberst	Oberstløytnant	Major	Kaptein/ Rittmester	Løytnant	Fenrik
Navy
Navy	Admiral	Viseadmiral	Kontreadmiral	Flaggkommandør	Kommandør	Kommandørkaptein	Orlogskaptein	Kapteinløytnant	Løytnant	Fenrik

Enlisted

The rank insignia for enlisted for the army, navy and air force respectively.

NATO code	OR-5	OR-4	OR-3	OR-2	OR-1
Norwegian Army
Norwegian Army	Sersjant	Korporal	Visekorporal 1. klasse	Visekorporal	Menig
Royal Norwegian Navy
Royal Norwegian Navy	Kvartermester	Konstabel		Visekonstabel	Menig
Royal Norwegian Air Force
Royal Norwegian Air Force	Sersjant	Korporal	Visekorporal 1. klasse	Visekorporal	Flysoldat

System 2016–2023

NATO code	OR-9	OR-8	OR-7	OR-6	OR-5		OR-4		OR-3	OR-2	OR-1
Norwegian Army ^[8]
Norwegian Army ^[8]	Sersjantmajor	Kommandérsersjant	Stabssersjant	Oversersjant	Sersjant 1. klasse	Sersjant	Korporal 1. klasse	Korporal	Visekorporal 1. klasse	Visekorporal	Ledende menig	Menig
Royal Norwegian Navy ^[8]
Royal Norwegian Navy ^[8]	Flaggmester	Orlogsmester	Flotiljemester	Skvadronmester	Senior kvartermester	Kvartermester	Ledende konstabel	Konstabel	Senior visekonstabel	Visekonstabel	Ledende menig	Menig
Royal Norwegian Air Force ^[8]
Royal Norwegian Air Force ^[8]	Sersjantmajor	Kommandérsersjant	Stabssersjant	Oversersjant	Vingsersjant	Sersjant	Seniorspesialist	Ledende spesialist	Spesialist	Visespesialist	Ledende flysoldat	Flysoldat

Related Research Articles

Sergeant (Sgt) is a rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, serjeant, is used in The Rifles and other units that draw their heritage from the British light infantry. Its origin is the Latin serviens, 'one who serves', through the Old French term serjant.

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Commissioned officers' rank comparison chart of all land forces of NATO member states.

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Rank comparison chart of all armies and land forces of European states.

Rank comparison chart of non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and enlisted personnel for all armies and land forces of European states.

Rank comparison chart of air forces non-commissioned officers and other personnel of European states.

Rank comparison chart of all navies of European states. Some European countries do not have naval forces, either because they are landlocked, such as Austria, Belarus, the Czech Republic, Moldova, Luxembourg, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo, Slovakia, San Marino and the Vatican, or naval duties provided by another state such as Monaco.

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References

1 2 "Forsvaret innfører ny personellordning" [The armed forces are introducing a new personnel system] (in Norwegian). Regjeringen. 12 June 2015. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
↑ "Her er de nye gradene" [Here are the new grades] (in Norwegian). Forsvaret. 11 December 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
↑ "TJ 12-3-2 Bestemmelse for Hærens distinksjoner og andre uniformstegn, s. 10" [TJ 12-3-2 Provision for the Army's distinctions and other uniform insignia, p. 10](PDF) (in Norwegian). Forsvaret. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
1 2 3 4 5 6 "Militære grader" [Military ranks]. forsvaret.no (in Norwegian). Norwegian Armed Forces. 13 October 2023. Archived from the original on 26 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
1 2 "TJ 12-3-2 Bestemmelse for Hærens distinksjoner og andre uniformstegn" [TJ 12-3-2 Provision for the Army's distinctions and other uniform insignia](PDF). forsvaret.no (in Norwegian). 26 April 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 November 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
↑ Rühl, Moritz. "The Army of Norway 1939". Uniformology. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
↑ Mollo, Andrew (1981). The Armed Forces of World War II. New York, p. 38.
1 2 3 "Militære grader". forsvaret.no (in Norwegian). Norwegian Armed Forces. 4 February 2021. Archived from the original on 13 February 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2021.

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[reg_pers-1] 1 2 "Forsvaret innfører ny personellordning" [The armed forces are introducing a new personnel system] (in Norwegian). Regjeringen. 12 June 2015. Archived from the original on 31 October 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2017.

[nyegrad-2] "Her er de nye gradene" [Here are the new grades] (in Norwegian). Forsvaret. 11 December 2015. Retrieved 1 February 2017.

[tj_12_3-3] "TJ 12-3-2 Bestemmelse for Hærens distinksjoner og andre uniformstegn, s. 10" [TJ 12-3-2 Provision for the Army's distinctions and other uniform insignia, p. 10](PDF) (in Norwegian). Forsvaret. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 1 February 2017.

[Norway-4] 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Militære grader" [Military ranks]. forsvaret.no (in Norwegian). Norwegian Armed Forces. 13 October 2023. Archived from the original on 26 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.

[Bestemmelse-5] 1 2 "TJ 12-3-2 Bestemmelse for Hærens distinksjoner og andre uniformstegn" [TJ 12-3-2 Provision for the Army's distinctions and other uniform insignia](PDF). forsvaret.no (in Norwegian). 26 April 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 November 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2023.

[6] Rühl, Moritz. "The Army of Norway 1939". Uniformology. Retrieved 30 April 2019.

[7] Mollo, Andrew (1981). The Armed Forces of World War II. New York, p. 38.

[Norway_2021-8] 1 2 3 "Militære grader". forsvaret.no (in Norwegian). Norwegian Armed Forces. 4 February 2021. Archived from the original on 13 February 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2021.

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Military ranks and insignia of Norway

Contents

New system of 2023

Commissioned officers

Student officer ranks

Other ranks

Chief NCOs

Historic ranks

System 1916–1930

Officers

Enlisted

System ?–1975

Officers

Enlisted

System 1975–2016

Officers

Enlisted

System 2016–2023

Related Research Articles

References