Ranks of the People's Liberation Army Air Force

The ranks in the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force are similar to those of the Chinese Army, formally known as the People's Liberation Army Ground Force, except that those of the PLA Air Force are prefixed by 空军 (Kong Jun) meaning Air Force. See Ranks of the People's Liberation Army or the article on an individual rank for details on the evolution of rank and insignia in the PLAAF. This article primarily covers the existing ranks and insignia.

Current ranks

Ranks of officers

The current system of officer ranks and insignia dates from 1988 and is a revision of the ranks and insignia used from 1955 to 1965. The rank of Kong Jun Yi Ji Shang Jiang (First Class General) was never held and was abolished in 1994.

Title	空军学员 Kong Jun Xue Yuan	空军少尉 Kong Jun Shao Wei	空军中尉 Kong Jun Zhong Wei	空军上尉 Kong Jun Shang Wei	空军少校 Kong Jun Shao Xiao	空军中校 Kong Jun Zhong Xiao	空军上校 Kong Jun Shang Xiao	空军大校 Kong Jun Da Xiao	空军少将 Kong Jun Shao Jiang	空军中将 Kong Jun Zhong Jiang	空军上将 Kong Jun Shang Jiang
Usual Translation	Air Force Officer Cadet (OF-D)	Air Force 2nd Lieutenant (OF-1)	Air Force 1st Lieutenant (OF-1)	Air Force Captain (OF-2)	Air Force Major (OF-3)	Air Force Lieutenant Colonel (OF-4)	Air Force Colonel (OF-5)	Air Force Senior Colonel (OF-6)	Air Force Major General (OF-7)	Air Force Lieutenant General (OF-8)	Air Force General (OF-9)
Shoulder Insignia
Collar Insignia

Ranks of Enlisted Personnel

The current system of enlisted ranks and insignia dates from 2009.[1]

Unlike NATO countries, new recruits of the People's Liberation Army have no military ranks before the boot camp is completed, and they will be awarded the rank of Private/Seaman Apprentice/Airman (All collectively called "Private" or "Lie Bing" in the Chinese Language) after they have graduated from the boot camp[2]. According to Article 16 of Chapter 3 of the "Regulations on the Service of Active Soldiers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army"[2](Chinese: 《中国人民解放军现役士兵服役条例》), "The lowest enlisted rank is Private". The PLA Pvt is actually equivalent to OR-2 in the NATO rank.[3]

Title	空军列兵 Kong Jun Lie Bing	空军上等兵 Kong Jun Shang Deng Bing	空军下士 Kong Jun Xia Shi	空军中士 Kong Jun Zhong Shi	空军上士 Kong Jun Shang Shi	空军四级军士长 Kong Jun si Ji Jun Shi Zhang	空军三级军士长 Kong Jun San Ji Jun Shi Zhang	空军二级军士长 Kong Jun Er Ji Jun Shi Zhang	空军一级军士长 Kong Jun Yi Ji Jun Shi Zhang
Usual Translation	Airman (OR-2)	Airman 1st Class (OR-3)	Senior Airman (OR-4)	Staff Sergeant (OR-5)	Technical Sergeant (OR-6)	Master Sergeant (OR-6)	Senior Master Sergeant (OR-7)	First Sergeant (OR-8)	Chief Master Sergeant (OR-9)
Shoulder Insignia
Collar Insignia

Historical rank insignia

Officers

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
China	No equivalent		空军大将	空军上将	空军中校		空军少校		空军大校		空军上校		空军中校		空军少校		空军大尉		空军上尉		空军中尉		空军少尉		空军准尉
	No equivalent		General of the Air Force 空军大将	General 空军上将	Lieutenant General 空军中将		Major General 空军少将		Senior Colonel 空军大校		Colonel 空军上校		Lieutenant colonel 空军中校		Major 空军少校		Captain 空军大尉		1st lieutenant 空军上尉		2nd Lieutenant 空军中尉		Junior Lieutenant 空军少尉		Warrant Officer 空军准尉