AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT

Military Rank Equivalents

Military rank (or rank) is a system of listing the seniority and command (degree of decision-making responsibility) within military organizations. The following are rank equivalents in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) three service branches: Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

Officer Ranks

AIR FORCE (RAAF)	ARMY		NAVY
Air Chief Marshal	ACM	General	GEN	Admiral	ADML
Air Marshal	AIRMSHL	Lieutenant General	LTGEN	Vice Admiral	VADM
Air Vice-Marshal	AVM	Major General	MAJGEN	Rear Admiral	RADM
Air Commodore	AIRCDRE	Brigadier	BRIG	Commodore	CDRE
Group Captain	GPCAPT	Colonel	COL	Captain	CAPT
Wing Commander	WGCDR	Lieutenant Colonel	LTCOL	Commander	CMDR
Squadron Leader	SQNLDR	Major	MAJ	Lieutenant Commander	LCDR
Flight Lieutenant	FLTLT	Captain	CAPT	Lieutenant	LEUT
Flying Officer	FLGOFF	Lieutenant	LT	Sub Lieutenant	SBLT
Pilot Officer	PLTOFF	2nd Lieutenant	2LT	Acting Sub Lieutenant	ASLT
Officer Cadet	OFFCDT	Staff Cadet / Officer Cadet	SCDT / OCDT	Midshipman	MIDN

Other Ranks

AIR FORCE (RAAF) Airmen		ARMY		NAVY Non-Commissioned Officers & Sailors
Warrant Officer    of the Air Force	WOFF-AF	Warrant Officer	WO	Warrant Officer    of the Navy	WO-N
Warrant Officer	WOFF	Warrant Officer Class 1	WO1	Warrant Officer	WO
...		Warrant Officer Class 2	WO2	...
Flight Sergeant	FSGT	...		Chief Petty Officer	CPO
no equivalent		Staff Sergeant	SSGT	no equivalent
Sergeant	SGT	Sergeant	SGT	Petty Officer	PO
Corporal	CPL	Corporal / Bombardier	CPL / LBDR	Leading Seaman	LS
no equivalent		Lance Corporal /    Lance Bombardier	LCPL / LBDR	no equivalent
Leading    Aircraftman /    Aircraftwoman	LAC / W	Private Proficient	PTE(P)	Able Seaman	AB
Aircraftman /    Aircraftwoman	AC / W	Private	PTE	Seaman	SMN

More Information

• Australian Military links on our website
• Victoria Cross and Australia's Victoria Cross Recipients on our website
• Defence Service Records at the National Archives government website
• Department of Defence Personnel Portal
• Uniform Insignia See examples of insignia from around the world.

Note: all links to other websites open in a new window. When you're done browsing the other website, close that window. We'll be here waiting so you can continue your visit with us.