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RAF officer ranks

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This article is about the ranks of commissioned officers of the Royal Air Force. For other ranks, see RAF other ranks.

Ranks

NATO code OF-10 OF-9 OF-8 OF-7 OF-6 OF-5 OF-4 OF-3 OF-2 OF-1
 Royal Air Force[1]
Marshal of the RAF Air chief marshal Air marshal Air vice-marshal Air commodore Group captain Wing commander Squadron leader Flight lieutenant Flying officer Pilot officer
/acting pilot officer
Abbreviation MRAF Air Chf Mshl Air Mshl AVM Air Cdre Gp Capt Wg Cdr Sqn Ldr Flt Lt Fg Off Plt Off APO Off Cdt
  • 1 Currently honorary/wartime rank only.

Origins

Lieutenant General David Henderson originally proposed that Royal Air Force officers use a combination of British Army and Royal Navy ranks. However, the War Office argued that the RAF should have its own ranks and the Admiralty opposed any use of their rank titles.

Badges of rank

On 1 April 1918, Air Force Memorandum 2 specified rank insignia for the newly established independent force. Rank was to be worn on the jacket cuff and was derived from the Royal Navy's rings, each equivalent rank having the same number of rings. However, second lieutenants (now pilot officers) displayed a crowned eagle only and the Navy's loop was not used for any rank. Depending on the uniform, either gold or pale blue on grey braid was worn.

In August 1918, Air Ministry Weekly Order 617 added a single band of 1/4 inch braid below the second lieutenant's eagle and all other officer ranks also received a crowned eagle above their braid.

RAF Mess Dress cuff insignia for a flight lieutenant

In 1919 the colour of the rank braid was changed to black with a central pale blue stripe. However, on RAF mess dress rank continued to be displayed in gold.

Sleeve ranks

The ranks worn on the sleeve are common to all RAF uniform variants incorporating the Jacket. The centre of the rank (measured from the bottom of the lowest braid to the top of the highest) should be 3 3/4" (9.5 cm) from the cuff and each row of braiding should have a space of 1/8" (3mm) from other rows. The thinnest braid, as found on the pilot officer's rank, is 1/4" (6mm); the Flying Officer's braid common to all the ranks except air commodore and pilot officer, is 1/2" (14mm), and the thickest braid, as found on all air officer ranks, is 2" (51mm).

Shoulder boards

Air officers rank shoulder board
Shoulder board of marshal of the RAF

On certain ceremonial occasions, RAF officers wear shoulder boards with their uniform. It is quite common for air officers to be seen in No 1A uniform with shoulder boards, sword and ceremonial belt. For other officers the belt is omitted and golden braid of the rank, as used normally, can be worn on the shoulders instead.

Rank titles

As mentioned above, it was originally proposed that the RAF ranks were to be derived from existing Royal Navy and Army ranks. Both services were consulted and both reacted unfavourably—the Navy unhappy about the use of its higher ranks and the Army complaining it provided the "junior ranks". This resulted in a compromise whereby the officer ranks were proposed to be: ensign, lieutenant, flight leader, squadron leader, reeve, banneret, fourth ardian, third ardian, second ardian, ardian and air marshal. A further proposal was: ensign, lieutenant, flight-leader, squadron-leader, wing-leader, leader, flight ardian, squadron ardian, wing ardian, ardian, air marshal.

Unsurprisingly, perhaps, these contrived ranks were rejected and on 1 August 1919, Air Ministry Weekly Order 973 introduced new rank titles for RAF officers. They were based on Royal Navy ranks and their titles were influenced by the usage in the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) during World War I. For example, the RAF rank of flight lieutenant was based on the RNAS rank of the same name. The rank of squadron leader derived its name from the RNAS rank of squadron commander. Initially the highest rank was titled marshal of the air. However, only a few days after it was promulgated, this rank title was changed to marshal of the Royal Air Force at the request of King George V, his belief being that the former sounded too much like it encroached on the attributes of God.

Composite braid

Composite braid as worn by a squadron leader

RAF officers typically wear composite braid rank slides with their working and operational uniforms. Composite braid consists of a single piece of fabric, where the "background" between the rank rings is made from blue-grey material. Composite braid rank slides are often referred to as "bar-code" in RAF slang.

Command flags


MRAF
Air Chf Mshl
Air Mshl
AVM
Air Cdre
Gp Capt
Wg Cdr
Sqn Ldr

Distinction between ranks and appointments

Many RAF ranks do not imply the appointment or duties of an officer. For example, a Pilot Officer may well not be trained to pilot an aircraft, a Squadron Leader does not necessarily command a squadron, nor a Wing Commander necessarily command a wing, nor a Group Captain command a group.

Air Training Corps and Combined Cadet Force

In the Air Training Corps, the rank system for officers is identical, but the highest rank is wing commander (for volunteers only), with higher posts being held by regular RAF officers such as Commandant Air Cadets (ACO) Air Commodore Dawn McCafferty. Officers in the Air Training Corps are part of the RAFVR(T), and as such wear a small gold badge shaped as the letters VRT, with the T centrally below the VR. The same applies for the RAF section of the CCF.

Other air forces

Comparative military ranks
Armies,
air forces
(non-Commonwealth)		 Navies,
coast guards		 Air forces
(Commonwealth system)
General officers, Flag officers, Air officers
Field marshal Admiral of the fleet Marshal of the air force
General or
colonel general or
army general		 Admiral Air chief marshal
Lieutenant general or
army corps general		 Vice admiral Air marshal
Major general or
divisional general		 Rear admiral or
Counter admiral		 Air vice-marshal
Brigadier or
brigadier general		 Commodore or
flotilla admiral		 Air commodore
Senior officers
Colonel (Ship-of-the-line)
Captain		 Group captain
Lieutenant colonel Frigate captain or
Commander		 Wing commander
Major or
commandant		 Corvette captain or Lieutenant
commander		 Squadron leader
Junior officers
Captain Lieutenant Flight lieutenant
First lieutenant or
lieutenant		 Lieutenant
junior grade or
sub-lieutenant		 Flying officer
Second lieutenant or
junior lieutenant		 Ensign or
midshipman		 Pilot officer
Non-commissioned officers
Warrant officer or
sergeant major		 Warrant officer or
chief petty officer		 Warrant officer
Sergeant Petty officer Sergeant
Enlisted ranks
Corporal or
bombardier		 Leading seaman Corporal
Lance corporal or
Lance bombardier or
Specialist		 Able seaman Leading aircraftman or
Air specialist
Private or
gunner or
trooper or
sapper		 Seaman Aircraftman or
airman or
aviator

The following air forces use a similar or identical officer rank structure and rank insignia to the RAF:

The following air forces use a similar or identical officer rank structure to the RAF, but use army-style rank insignia:

The following air forces use rank insignia for their officers which are similar or identical to that of the RAF, but employ army rank titles:

The following air forces formerly used a similar or identical officer rank structure to the RAF:

The following air forces formerly used similar rank insignia to the RAF:

USAF general Charles Horner wearing the short-lived silver rings rank insignia

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "RAF Ranks". raf.mod.uk/. Royal Air Force. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  2. ^ "Royal Australian Air Force / Royal Australian Air Force". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  3. ^ "Royal New Zealand Air Force /". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  4. ^ "Hellenic Air Force / Πολεμική Αεροπορία - Polemikí Aeroporía". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  5. ^ "The Nigerian Air Force Service, Colours, Wings and Rank Structure". Nigerianairforce.net. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  6. ^ "Indian Air Force / भारतीय वायु सेना / Bhartiya Vāyu Sen&#257". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  7. ^ "Bangladesh Air Force / বাংলাদেশ বিমান বাহিনী - Bangladesh Biman Bahini". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  8. ^ "Sri Lanka Air Force /". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  9. ^ "Ghana Air Force /". Uniforminsignia.org. 2012-12-16. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  10. ^ "Air Force of Zimbabwe / Air Force of Zimbabwe". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-04. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  11. ^ "Royal Thai Air Force / กองทัพอากาศไทย - Kong Thab Akat Thai". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  12. ^ "Chilean Air Force / Fuerza Aérea de Chile". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  13. ^ "Pakistan Air Force - PAF / پاک فضائیہ - Pak Fiza´ya". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  14. ^ "Egyptian Air Force / القوات الجوية المصري&#1577". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  15. ^ "Afghan National Air Corps /". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  16. ^ "Argentine Air Force / Fuerza Aérea Argentina". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  17. ^ "Belgian Air Component / Luchtcomponent-Composante". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  18. ^ "Eritrean Air Force /". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  19. ^ "Finnish Air Force / Suomen ilmavoimat / Finska flygvapnet". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  20. ^ [1][dead link‍]
  21. ^ "Royal Malaysian Air Force / Tentera Udara DiRaja Malaysia". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  22. ^ "Peruvian Air Force / Fuerza Aérea del Perú". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  23. ^ "Royal Netherlands Air Force / Koninklijke Luchtmacht". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  24. ^ "Royal Danish Air Force / Flyvevåbnet". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  25. ^ "Air Force / Aeronautica Militare". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  26. ^ "Romanian Air Force / Forţele Aeriene Române". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  27. ^ "Romanian Air Force / Forţele Aeriene Române". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  28. ^ "South African Air Force /". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  29. ^ "Canadian Air Force / Canadian Forces Air Command - AIRCOM". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  30. ^ "Irish Air Corps / Aer Chór na hÉireann". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  31. ^ "Uruguayan Air Force / Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  32. ^ "Canadian Air Force / Canadian Forces Air Command - AIRCOM". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  33. ^ "Royal Rhodesian Air Force /". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  34. ^ "Republic of Singapore Air Force / 新加坡空军部队 - Angkatan Udara Republik Singapura - சிங்கப்பூர் ஆகாயப்பட&#3016". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  35. ^ "U.S. Air Force / United States Air Force". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  36. ^ Although the USAF discontinued the RAF-pattern rank insignia introduced by General Merrill McPeak in 1994, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps officer cadets use identical insignia today.
  37. ^ "Pakistan Air Force - PAF / پاک فضائیہ - Pak Fiza´ya". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  38. ^ "Royal Air Force of Oman / al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Sultanat Oman". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  39. ^ "Air Force /". Uniforminsignia.org. 2013-01-05. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  40. ^ "Air Force of the Democratic Republic of the Congo / Force Aérienne du Congo". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  41. ^ "Air Force /". Uniforminsignia.org. 2013-01-05. Retrieved 2013-02-24.
  42. ^ "Air Force / Force Aérienne". Uniforminsignia.org. 2010-08-02. Retrieved 2013-02-24.

References

  • Hobart, Malcolm. Badges and Uniforms of the Royal Air Force. London/Barnsley, England: Leo Cooper/Pen & Sword Books Ltd., 2000. ISBN 0-85052-739-2.
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