Ranks and insignia of Royal Danish Navy

The Royal Danish Navy ranks follows the NATO system of ranks and insignia, as does the rest of the Danish Defence. Outside this ranking system there are physicians (who may wear the same insignia in the Army/Air Force but with a slight variation in the Navy), nurses and veterinarians, while priests and judicial personnel wear completely different insignia and are without rank.

Current ranks

Besides the NATO-system, the Danish defence utilizes its own system, which for the navy is as follows:

• Military personnel, level 400 (M400, chef-gruppen ^[1] ) Executive level: OF-4 through OF-9 ^[2]
• Military personnel, level 300 (M300, officers-gruppen) Operational level: OF-1 through OF-3
• Military personnel, level 200 (M200, sergent-gruppen) NCO level: OR-5 through OR-9
• Military personnel, level 100 (M100, konstabel-gruppen) Seamen level: OR-1 through OR-4

Officers

The highest officer's rank is OF-9 (Admiral) which is reserved for the Chief of Defence (only when this seat is occupied by a naval officer) and the King of Denmark. The Prince Consort of Denmark held the rank of Admiral (à la suite). Similarly, OF-8 (Vice-admiral) is reserved for the Vice Chief of Defence). OF-7 (Kontreadmiral) is used by the Chief of the Royal Danish Navy and OF-6 (Flotilleadmiral) by the chief of Danish Task Group as well as keepers of high-office positions. OF-4 and OF-5 are mainly chiefs of squadrons, schools and larger vessels. OF-1 through OF-3 are used in a variety of positions.

NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1
Royal Danish Navy [3] v t e
			Admiral		Viceadmiral		Kontreadmiral		Flotilleadmiral		Kommandør		Kommandørkaptajn		Orlogskaptajn		Kaptajnløjtnant		Premierløjtnant			Løjtnant
Medical [3]
									Generallæge		Stabslæge I Stabstandlæge I Stabsdyrlæge I		Stabslæge II Stabstandlæge II Stabsdyrlæge II		Overlæge Overtandlæge Overdyrlæge Afdelingslæge Afdelingstandlæge Afdelingsdyrlæge		Reservelæge I Reservetandlæge I Reservedyrlæge I		Reservelæge II Reservetandlæge II Reservedyrlæge II			Reservelæge III Reservetandlæge III Reservedyrlæge III
Danish Pay Grade [2]			M406		M405		M404		M403		M402		M401		M332 M331 M322		M321		M312			M311

Rank flags

Rank	Admiral	Viceadmiral	Kontreadmiral	Flotilleadmiral	Eskadrechef
1625– [4]	on main-mast	on fore-mast
1858–1882 [5]				—
1882–c. 1900
c. 1900–1979 [6]
1979–present [7]

Enlisted

The Danish OR's also follow the NATO system, though there are no OR-6's. OR-4 (Korporal) is the highest of the M100-level ranks is and not considered a NCO-rank.

NATO code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
Service uniform
Royal Danish Navy [3] v t e
	Chefsergent						Seniorsergent		Oversergent								Sergent			Sergent SØ			Korporal				Marinespecialist		Marineoverkonstabel						Marinekonstabel
Danish Pay Grade [2]	M232						M231		M221								M212			M211			M113				M112

Branch of service

The branch of service emblems are worn by all NCOs and enlisted, except for Chefsergent who wears a crown.

Våben, artilleri	Våben, torpedo	Militærpoliti	Våben, mine
Kampinformation	Elektronik	DATA (Informatik)	Automatik
Kommunikation	Maskin	Administration (Intendantur)	Sanitet
Proviant/forplejning	Tamburkorps	Chefsergent	Sergentelev

Additional ranks

NATO Code	OR-9		OR-8	OR-1
Rank [3]
Danish	Søværnschefsergent	Myndighedschefsergent	Myndighedsseniorsergent	Stampersonel SØ	Værnepligtig SØ
English	Master chief petty officer of the Navy	Command master chief petty officer	Command senior chief petty officer	Junior rating/Trainee	Conscript

Mechanics

Rank group	Mechanics
Shoulder insignia [3]
Sleeve insignia
	Seniormekaniker	Overmekaniker af 1. grad	Overmekaniker af 2. grad	Mekaniker

Clerical personnel

Rank group	Clerical personnel
Shoulder insignia [3]
Sleeve insignia
	Orlogsprovst	Orlogspræst

Types of rank insignia

Rank [8] (example)	Shoulder	Sleeve	INTOPS	Epaulette
Chefsergent				None
Orlogskaptajn

Historical ranks

The sleeve insignia was first introduced in the Royal Navy in 1871 and was based around the British Royal Navy. ^[9] In order to become more standard, the admiral ranks were changed in 1951. ^[10]

Timeline of changes

See also: Danish order of precedence § Former military order of precedence

Modern ranks 1858-present

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
1801–1812 [11]
			Admiral		Vice-admiral		Contre-admiral				Commandeur		Commandeur-capitain		Capitain		Capitain-lieutenant		Premier-lieutenant			Second-lieutenant
1812–1822 [12]
			Admiral		Vice-admiral		Contre-admiral				Commandeur		Commandeur-capitain		Capitain		Capitain-lieutenant		Premier-lieutenant			Second-lieutenant
1841–1856 [13]
			Admiral		Viceadmiral		Kontreadmiral				Kommandør		Kommandørkaptajn		Kaptajn		Kaptajnløjtnant		Premierløjtnant			Sekondløjtnant
1858–1868 [14]
			Admiral		Viceadmiral		Kontreadmiral								Orlogskaptajn		Kaptajnløjtnant		Løjtnant
1868–1871 [15]
			Admiral								Kommandør						Kaptajn		Premierløjtnant			Sekondløjtnant
1871–1880 [16]
			Admiral								Kommandør						Kaptajn		Premierløjtnant			Sekondløjtnant
1909–1922 [17]
			Admiral		Viceadmiral		Kontreadmiral				Kommandør						Kaptajn		Premierløjtnant		Løjtnant		Sekondløjtnant
1922–1937 [18]
			Admiral		Viceadmiral		Kontreadmiral				Kommandør		Kommandørkaptajn		Orlogskaptajn		Kaptajnløjtnant		Søløjtnant af 1. grad			Søløjtnant af 2. grad
1937–1951
			Admiral		Viceadmiral		Kontreadmiral				Kommandør		Kommandørkaptajn		Orlogskaptajn		Kaptajnløjtnant		Premierløjtnant		Løjtnant		Søløjtnant II
1951–1970
			Admiral		Viceadmiral		Kontreadmiral				Kommandør		Kommandørkaptajn		Orlogskaptajn		Kaptajnløjtnant		Premierløjtnant		Løjtnant		Søløjtnant II
1970–2000
			Admiral		Viceadmiral		Kontreadmiral		Flotilleadmiral		Kommandør		Kommandørkaptajn		Orlogskaptajn		Kaptajnløjtnant		Premierløjtnant		Løjtnant		Søløjtnant II
2000–2011
			Admiral		Viceadmiral		Kontreadmiral		Flotilleadmiral		Kommandør		Kommandørkaptajn		Orlogskaptajn		Kaptajnløjtnant		Premierløjtnant			Løjtnant
2011–present
			Admiral		Viceadmiral		Kontreadmiral		Flotilleadmiral		Kommandør		Kommandørkaptajn		Orlogskaptajn		Kaptajnløjtnant		Premierløjtnant			Løjtnant
NATO code	OF-10		OF-9		OF-8		OF-7		OF-6		OF-5		OF-4		OF-3		OF-2		OF-1

Other ranks

Rank group	NCOs						Enlisted
1923–1951
	Overbaadsmand	Baadsmand	Underbaadsmand	Matrosoverkonstabel		Overmatros		Matroskonstabel 1. klasse	Matroskonstabel 2. klasse	Matroskonstabel 3. klasse
1959–1962 [19]
	Overfenrik	Fenrik	Oversergent	Sergent		Korporal	Sergentelev		Math	Mathelev
1962–1970
	Seniorsergent af 1. grad	Seniorsergent af 2. grad	Oversergent	Sergent		Korporal		Overkonstabel	Konstable	Konstabelelev
1970–1982 [20]
	Seniorsergent af 1. grad	Seniorsergent af 2. grad	Oversergent	Sergent		Korporal	Overkonstabel af 1. grad	Overkonstabel af 2. grad	Konstable	Konstabelelev
1982–2008
	Chefsergent	Seniorsergent	Oversergent	Sergent		Korporal	Marinespecialist	Marineoverkonstabel	Marinekonstable	Marinekonstabelelev

Royal Danish Navy. Rank insignia for other ranks 1939.

Royal Danish Navy. Rank insignia 1959.

References

1. Danish Ministry of Defence Personnel Agency (23 March 2022). "Selvvalgt afsked og TUL". forpers.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 25 June 2022. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
2. "Historik" [History]. forpers.dk (in Danish). Ministry of Defence. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2018.
3. "Søværnets Gradstegn" (PDF). forsvaret.dk (in Danish). Danish Defence. October 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
4. Secher, Vilhelm Adolf [in Danish] (1897). "Skibsartikler 1625 8. maj.". Forordninger, Recesser Og Andre Kongelige Breve, Danmarks Lovgivning Vedkommende, 1558–1660 (PDF). Corpus constitutionum Daniæ (in Danish). Vol. 4th. Copenhagen: Nielsen og Lydiche. p. 272. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
5. Le Gras, Alexandre (1858). Album des pavillons, guidons, flammes de toutes puissances maritimes (in French). Paris: Dépot des Cartes et PLans de la Marine. p. 16.
6. Admiralty (1916). Drawings of the flags in use at the present time by various nations. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode. p. 90. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
7. "FKOBST L.202 - 4: Ceremoniel i Forsvaret" (in Danish). Danish Defence. October 2019. p. Bilag 2 til Tillæg A. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
8. "Uniformsbestemmelse for Søværnet (FKOBST SV.628-501)" (PDF). Forsvaret (in Danish). September 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
9. Balsved, Johnny (25 March 2006). "Uniformshistorie" [Uniform History]. Navalhistory.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 6 May 2018.
10. Balsved, Johnny (22 March 2008). "Distinktioner og gradstegn" [Rank Insignia]. Navalhistory.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 6 May 2018.
11. Borg 1974, p. 31.
12. Borg 1974, p. 39.
13. Borg 1974, pp. 52, 57.
14. Borg 1974, pp. 57–60.
15. Borg 1974, p. 61.
16. Borg 1974, pp. 61–64.
17. Borg 1974, pp. 75, 180.
18. Borg 1974, p. 76.
19. United States Department of the Army (1962). "Military Uniforms - DA Pam 355-120 - 1959 to 1962 - Part 2". Archive.org. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
20. Borg 1974, pp. 186, 188.

• Borg, Erik (1974). Den Danske Marines Uniformer Gennem Tre Århundreder[Uniforms of the Danish Navy Through Three Centuries] (in Danish). Strubes Forlag. ISBN   87 7508 1644.
• Badges of Rank for the Royal Danish Navy, 2016
• Badges of Rank for the Royal Danish Navy, 2016 (in Danish)
• Heraldry of the RDN (in Danish)