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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Marshal of the RAAF1 | Air Chief Marshal | Air Marshal | Air Vice-Marshal | Air Commodore | Group Captain | Wing Commander | Squadron Leader | Flight Lieutenant | Flying Officer | Pilot Officer | No equivalent | 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 | 50px | No equivalent | 50px | |||||||||||||||||||
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 | 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 | |||||||||||||
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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 |
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NO equivalent | No equivalent | |||||||||||||||||
generale awarded only to the Chief of Defense Staff |
generale di divisione aerea | generale di brigata aerea | colonnello | tenente colonnello | maggiore | 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 | No Equivalent | Air Marshal | Air Vice-Marshal | Air Commodore | Group Captain | Wing Commander | Squadron Leader | Flight Lieutenant | Flying Officer | Pilot Officer | ||||||||||||
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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) [1] |
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 | - | No equivalent | ||||||||||||||||||||
จอมพล อากาศ | พล อากาศ เอก | พล อากาศ โท | พล อากาศ ตรี | นาวา อากาศ เอก พิเศษ | นาวา อากาศ เอก | นาวา อากาศ โท | นาวา อากาศ ตร | เรือ อากาศ เอก | เรือ อากาศ โท | เรือ อากาศ ตรี | นัก เรียน นาย เรือ อากาศ | |||||||||||
Chom Phon Akat | Phon Akat Ek | Phon Akat Tho | Phon Akat Tri | Nawa Akat Ek Phiset | Nawa Akat Ek | Nawa Akat Tho | Nawa Akat Tri | Ruea Akat Ek | Ruea Akat Tho | Ruea Akat Tri | Nak Rian Nai Ruea Akat | |||||||||||
Marshal of the RTAF | Air Chief Marshal | Air Marshal | Air Vice Marshal | Senior Group Captain | Group Captain | Wing Commander | Squadron Leader | Flight Lieutenant | Flying Officer | Pilot Officer | Air Cadet | |||||||||||
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Sweden (Edit) |
No equivalent | |||||||||||||||||||||
No equivalent | General | Generallöjtnant | Generalmajor | Brigadgeneral | Överste | Överstelöjtnant | Major | Kapten | Löjtnant | Fänrik |
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Ukraine (Edit) |
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Генерал армії України | Генерал-полковник | Генерал-лейтенант | Генерал-майор | Бригадний генерал | Полковник | Підполковник | Майор | Капітан | Курсмант | |||||||||||||
General of the Army of Ukraine | Colonel General | Lieutenant general | Major general | Brigadier | Polkovnik | Podpolkovnik | Major | Captain | Cadet | |||||||||||||
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United Kingdom (Edit) |
No equivalent | |||||||||||||||||||||
Marshal of the RAF1 | 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).