Four-star rank

Main articles: ranks and insignia of NATO armies officers, ranks and insignia of NATO Air Forces Officers and ranks and insignia of officers of NATO navies
A US general's rank insignia[1]

A four-star rank is the rank of any four-star officer described by the NATO OF-9 code. Four-star officers are often the most senior commanders in the armed services, having ranks such as (full) admiral, (full) general, or (in the case of air forces with a separate rank structure) air chief marshal. This designation is also used by some armed forces that are not North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) members.

Australia

Australian admiral's shoulder board

The four-star rank is reserved in Australia for the Chief of the Defence Force, the highest position in peace time.

In times of major conflict, the highest ranks are the five-star ranks: admiral of the fleet, field marshal, and marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force.

Brazil

Brazilian general de exército

The four-star rank is reserved in Brazil for the highest post in the military career. The officers in this position take part of the high command of their corporations. The commanders of army, navy and air force are also four-star generals, but they have precedence to all the others military in this rank.

Canada

Four maple leaves appear with St. Edward's crown and crossed sabre and baton on epaulettes and shoulder boards. This is the highest rank that is defined in the Canadian Forces under the current National Defence Act Schedule.[2] Usually, only one officer carries the rank of full admiral or general at any one time: the Chief of the Defence Staff. In exceptional circumstances, from time-to-time, the minister may authorize additional officers at that level, for instance, Canadian officers in the position of Chairman of the NATO Military Committee are usually former Chiefs of the Defence Staff seconded to NATO for that duty.

The Head of State, Queen Elizabeth II, holds the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces, bearing no rank.[3] Likewise, the Minister of National Defence, since he is not a member of the Canadian Forces, nor in the chain-of-command, also bears no rank. Prince Philip holds the four-star rank of admiral in the Royal Canadian Navy in an honorary capacity.

Before unification in 1968, the rank of air chief marshal (maréchal en chef de l'air) was the four-star equivalent for the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Germany

The equivalent modern German four-star ranks (OF-9) of the Bundeswehr are as follows:

Not to be confused with Generaloberst, the Wehrmacht (West Germany) equivalent until 1945, or Armeegeneral, the National People´s Army (East Germany) equivalent until 1990.

India

Indian Air Chief Marshal Fali Homi Major (wearing four-star insignia)
Pakistan Air Chief Marshal Anwar Shamim (with 4 stars visible on his head-dress)

Pakistan

United Kingdom

See also:

United States

See also:

Former USSR and Russia

Army general (Red Army)
Army general (Russian Army since 2013)
Admiral of the fleet (Russian Navy)

While the general armii wore shoulder insignia with four small stars, the marshal and admiral flota wore one single large star on their shoulder boards, and the glavnii marshal the same large star with a laurel wreath, very similar to the modern army general insignia of the Russian Army.

Upon their formation, the Russian armed forces discontinued the ranks of marshal and glavnii marshal.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Note: This rank insignia is not worn by all NATO officers.
  2. ↑ Canada - Department of Justice "Laws of Canada: National Defence Act, Schedule I"
  3. ↑ Canada - Department of Justice "Constitution Act, 1867, Part III, Section 9, Executive Power."
  4. ↑ http://www.army.mod.uk/structure/23155.aspx
  5. ↑ RAF Glossary, "Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation", rafweb.org