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
—	O-0	Midshipman	—	—
Cadets
—	—	—	Officer Cadet/Staff Cadet(RMC)	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
OR-9	E-9	Warrant officer	Warrant Officer Class 1	Warrant officer
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] As Army WO2s hold a Warrant, while the RAN CPO and RAAF FSTG do not, WO2s are addressed as "Sir" or "Ma'am" by junior ranks, which extends to OCDTs and SCDTs.

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-commissioner officers
OR-5	E-5	Leading Seaman	Corporal/Bombardier	Corporal
OR-4	E-4	—	Lance Corporal/Bombardier	—

Other ranks

NATO Code	Aus/US Code	Navy	Army	RAAF
Enlisted
OR-3	E-3	Able seaman	Private (Proficient)	Leading Aircraftman/woman
OR-2	E-2	Seaman	Private	Aircraftman/woman

Insignia

Commissioned officers

The rank insignia for commissioned officers for the navy, army and air force respectively.

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) and student officer
Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy	Admiral of the fleet	Admiral	Vice admiral	Rear admiral	Commodore	Captain	Commander	Lieutenant commander	Lieutenant	Sub lieutenant	Acting sub lieutenant	Midshipman
Australian Army
Australian Army	Field marshal	General	Lieutenant general	Major general	Brigadier	Colonel	Lieutenant colonel	Major	Captain	Lieutenant	Second lieutenant	Officer cadet	Staff cadet
Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force	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	OF-10	OF-9	OF-8	OF-7	OF-6	OF-5	OF-4	OF-3	OF-2	OF-1		OF(D) and student officer

Enlisted

The rank insignia for enlisted personnel for the navy, army and air force respectively.

Equivalent NATO code	OR-9		OR-8	OR-7	OR-6	OR-5	OR-4	OR-3	OR-2	OR-1
Royal Australian Navy				No equivalent				No equivalent
Royal Australian Navy	Warrant Officer of the Navy	Warrant Officer	Chief Petty Officer	No equivalent	Petty Officer		Leading Seaman	No equivalent	Able Seaman	Seaman
Australian Army									No insignia
Australian Army	Regimental sergeant major of the army	Warrant officer class 1	Warrant officer class 2	Staff sergeant (Phased out as of 2019)	Sergeant		Corporal	Lance corporal	Private (or equivalent)
Royal Australian Air Force				No equivalent				No equivalent
Royal Australian Air Force	Warrant Officer of the Air Force	Warrant Officer	Flight Sergeant	No equivalent	Sergeant		Corporal	No equivalent	Leading Aircraftman	Aircraftman
Equivalent NATO Code	OR-9		OR-8	OR-7	OR-6	OR-5	OR-4	OR-3	OR-2	OR-1

Notes

O-11 ranks - admiral of the fleet, field marshal and marshal of the RAAF - may only be used in wartime and for honorary appointments.
O-10 ranks - The Chief of the Defence Force is the sole O-10 ranked appointment.
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.
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).
Without prejudice to existing holders of the rank, the Army has ceased to promote soldiers to the rank of staff sergeant.[4]

References

"ADF Pay and Conditions Manual (PACMAN)". People Strategies and Policy (AL13 ed.). Department of Defence, Australian Government. November 2009. p. 1.
Defence Force Regulations 1952.
Badges of Rank and Special Insignia. Commonwealth of Australia - Department of Defence. September 2003. pp. 2–3.
"Australian Army Rank Structure, Other Ranks". army.gov.au. Australian Army. 25 October 2019. Archived from the original on 27 February 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2020.

External links

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[4] O-11 ranks - admiral of the fleet, field marshal and marshal of the RAAF - may only be used in wartime and for honorary appointments.

[5] O-10 ranks - The Chief of the Defence Force is the sole O-10 ranked appointment.

[6] 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.

[7] 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] 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.

[6] 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.

[7] O-6 ranks - The three Principal Chaplains representing the three major Christian denominations: Catholic, Anglican, and Protestant, are equivalent to a Colonel (O-6).

[8] 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).

[9] Without prejudice to existing holders of the rank, the Army has ceased to promote soldiers to the rank of staff sergeant.[4]

[PACMAN-1] "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.

[Badges_of_Rank-3] Badges of Rank and Special Insignia. Commonwealth of Australia - Department of Defence. September 2003. pp. 2–3.

[8] "Australian Army Rank Structure, Other Ranks". army.gov.au. Australian Army. 25 October 2019. Archived from the original on 27 February 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2020.

[d]