Air forces of most of the countries use ranking system simular to Armies. However the RAF, and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries, or those formerly under a British influence use a different set of ranks loosely based on naval equivalents; Lieutenant, Commander, Captain and Commodore are prefixed for air force use with Flight, Wing, Group and Air (the first three being the units that they used to command).

NATO Rank Codes

To assist in the comparison of ranks in the armed forces of different countries, established NATO rank codes are used. These are established codes for determining the seniority of officer and other ranks in NATO countries for a particular joint task group or command structure, although specific appointments designate a higher level of seniority over other equivalent rank codes in a given situation. Officer ranks go from OF-1 (applying to all subaltern officers below captain) up to OF-10; OF(D) being a special category for trainee officers awaiting a commission. Other Ranks (those considered enlisted men in the United States forces) are classified from OR-1 to OR-9. Warrant Officers in the United States forces are a special case as single track career specialists between the enlisted and officer ranks in terms of seniority, and have no NATO rank code. The system should not be confused with the pay grades used in the US military. While countries outside the NATO command structure (including some NATO member courtiers such as France) do not strictly fall into this classification structure and there may be incidences of overlap (particularly in OR ranks between countries) the codes still provide a useful gauge in determining what ranks are broadly equivalent

Generals/Marshals/Air Officers

These are the highest ranks. Promotion to a rank above OF-9 is now rare and usually reserved for wartime. General of the Air Force is an example of such a rank.

Other officers

See Also

• Naval officer ranks
• Army officer ranks
• Comparative military ranks