Australian Defence Force ranks

The Australian Defence Force's (ADF) ranks of officers 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]

Commissioned officer ranks

NATO
Code 		Aus/US
Code 		Navy Army RAAF
Flag/General/Air Officers[1][3]
OF-10 O-11[lower-alpha 1] Admiral of the fleet Field marshal Marshal of the RAAF
OF-9 O-10[lower-alpha 2] Admiral General Air chief marshal
OF-8 O-9[lower-alpha 3] Vice admiral Lieutenant general Air marshal
OF-7 O-8 Rear admiral Major general Air vice marshal
OF-6 O-7[lower-alpha 4] — — 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
Cadets
— — Midshipman Officer cadet Officer cadet

Warrant officer ranks

NATO
Code 		Aus/US
Code 		Navy Army RAAF
Warrant officers
OR-9 E-9 Warrant officer Warrant officer Warrant officer
Warrant officer class 1
OR-8 E-8 — Warrant officer class 2 —
Note that the most senior warrant officer in each of the three services is appointed either Warrant Officer of the Navy (WO-N), Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army (RSM-A), or Warrant Officer of the Air Force (WOFF-AF), as appropriate. These are appointments, not ranks; these three people hold the rank of Warrant Officer in their respective services. However, they each wear special insignia, different from the rank insignia worn by other warrant officers. Although the RAN and the RAAF have the one warrant officer rank, the army has three. The soldier appointed Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army (RSM-A) holds the unique Army rank of warrant officer (introduced in 1991 and senior to WO1). The Army rank of WO2 is the same pay grade as the RAN and the RAAF's most senior NCOs, (i.e. chief petty officer and flight sergeant).[1]

Non-commissioned officer ranks

NATO
Code 		Aus/US
Code 		Navy Army RAAF
Senior non-commissioned officers
OR-8 E-8 Chief petty officer — Flight sergeant
OR-7 E-7 — Staff sergeant[1][lower-alpha 5] —
OR-6 E-6 Petty officer Sergeant Sergeant
Junior non-commissioned officers
OR-4 E-5 Leading seaman Corporal/bombardier Corporal
OR-3 E-4 — Lance corporal/
Lance bombardier 		—

Other ranks

NATO
Code 		Aus/US
Code 		Navy Army RAAF
Enlisted
OR-3 E-3 Able seaman Private proficient[1][lower-alpha 6] Leading aircraftman/woman
OR-2 E-2 Seaman Private Aircraftman/woman

Insignia

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
Australia Australia
(Edit)
Admiral of the Fleet Admiral Vice Admiral Rear Admiral Commodore Captain Commander Lieutenant Commander Lieutenant Sub Lieutenant Acting Sub Lieutenant Midshipman
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
Australia Australia
(Edit)
Field Marshal General Lieutenant General Major General Brigadier Colonel Lieutenant Colonel Major Captain Lieutenant Second Lieutenant Officer Cadet Staff Cadet
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
Australia Australia
(Edit)
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

|}

Equivalent
NATO Code		OR-9OR-8OR-7OR-6OR-5OR-4OR-3OR-2OR-1
Australia Australia
(Edit)		 'No equivalent No equivalent No equivalent
Warrant Officer
of the Navy		 Warrant Officer Chief Petty Officer Petty Officer Leading Seaman Able Seaman Seaman
Equivalent
NATO Code		OR-9OR-8OR-7OR-6OR-5OR-4OR-3OR-2OR-1
Australia Australia
(Edit)		 No Equivalent 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)
Equivalent
NATO Code		OR-9OR-8OR-7OR-6OR-5OR-4OR-3OR-2OR-1
Australia
(Edit)		 No Equivalent No Equivalent No Equivalent
Warrant Officer
of the Air Force		 Warrant Officer Flight Sergeant Sergeant Corporal Leading Aircraftman Aircraftman

|}

See also

References and notes

Notes

  1. ↑ O-11 ranks - admiral of the fleet, field marshal and marshal of the RAAF - may only be used in wartime and for honorary appointments.
  2. ↑ O-10 ranks - The Chief of the Defence Force is the sole O-10 ranked appointment.
  3. ↑ O-9 ranks - The Vice Chief of the Defence Force, Chief of Joint Operations, Chief of the Capability Development Executive and Chiefs of the Navy, Army and Air Force comprise the six O-9 ranked appointments.
  4. ↑ Chaplains:
    • O-3 ranks - Chaplains are commissioned officers without rank, however they are accorded the rank of Captain (O-3) for reasons of protocol, ceremonial occasions and for saluting purposes.
    • O-4/5 ranks - The more senior division 2 and 3 chaplains are accorded the rank of Major (O-4) and Lieutenant Colonel (O-5), respectively.
    • O-6 ranks - The three Principal Chaplains representing the three major Christian denominations: Catholic, Anglican, and Protestant, are equivalent to a Colonel (O-6).
    • O-7 ranks - The heads of the various churches and religions officially associated to the ADF's Religious Advisory Committee, such as the Anglican and Catholic Bishops of the Military, are equivalent to a Brigadier (O-7).
  5. ↑ Without prejudice to existing holders of the rank, the Army has ceased to promote soldiers to the rank of staff sergeant.
  6. ↑ "Private proficient" (PTE(P)) is not a separate formal ADF rank and does not 'outrank' private; it is a salary proficiency point (pay grade) which is "automatically" granted after 12 months service as a private. The same holds with seaman being re-classified as able seaman, and aircraftman/woman being re-classified leading aircraftman/woman after 12 months; the requirements are the same for all three services. Thus, able seaman and leading aircraftman/woman do not outrank private, seaman or aircraftman/woman.
    The relevant regulations are:

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "ADF Pay and Conditions Manual (PACMAN)". People Strategies and Policy (AL13 ed.). Department of Defence, Australian Government. November 2009. p. 1.
  2. ↑ Defence Force Regulations 1952.
  3. ↑ Badges of Rank and Special Insignia. Commonwealth of Australia - Department of Defence. September 2003. pp. 2–3.
Military ranks and insignia by country
Africa
Former
  • Biafra
  • Bophuthatswana
  • Kingdom of Egypt
  • Ethiopian Empire
  • Rhodesia
  • Zaire
Comparative
Americas
Former
Comparative
Asia
Former
Comparative
Europe
Former
Comparative
Oceania
Comparative
Commonwealth of Nations
NATO
Comparative officer ranks of
Australia-United States Rank Code Officer Cadet O-1 O-2 O-3 O-4 O-5 O-6 O-7
*		 O-8
**		 O-9
***		 O-10
****		 O-11
*****
Royal Australian Navy MIDN ASLT SBLT LEUT LCDR CMDR CAPT CDRE RADM VADM ADML AF
Australian Army OCDT 2LT LT CAPT MAJ LTCOL COL BRIG MAJGEN LTGEN GEN FM
Royal Australian Air Force OFFCDT PLTOFF FLGOFF FLTLT SQNLDR WGCDR GPCAPT AIRCDRE AVM AIRMSHL ACM MRAAF
Australia-United States Rank Code E-1 E-2 E-3 E-4 E-5 E-6 E-7 E-8 E-9 Special
Royal Australian Navy RCT SMN AB - LS PO - CPO WO WO-N
Australian Army REC PTE PTE(P) LCPL CPL SGT SSGT WO2 WO1 RSM-A
Royal Australian Air Force RCT AC/ACW LAC/LACW - CPL SGT - FSGT WOFF WOFF-AF
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