The Australian Defence Force's (ADF) ranksofofficers 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 code |
Navy | Army | RAAF |
---|---|---|---|---|
Flag/General/Air officers[1][3] | ||||
OF-10 | O-11[a] | Admiral of the Fleet | Field Marshal | Marshal of the RAAF |
OF-9 | O-10[b] | Admiral | General | Air Chief Marshal |
OF-8 | O-9[c] | Vice Admiral | Lieutenant general | Air Marshal |
OF-7 | O-8 | Rear Admiral | Major General | Air Vice Marshal |
OF-6 | O-7[d] | 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/ code |
Navy | Army | RAAF |
---|---|---|---|---|
Warrant officers | ||||
OR-10 | E-10 | WO-N | RSM-A | 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 code |
Navy | Army | RAAF |
---|---|---|---|---|
Senior non-commissioned officers | ||||
OR-8 | E-8 | Chief Petty Officer | — | Flight Sergeant |
OR-7 | E-7 | — | Staff Sergeant[1][e] | — |
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 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.
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