Ranks in the French Air and Space Force
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (June 2021) |
Rank insignia in the French Air and Space Force are worn on the sleeve or on shoulder marks of uniforms
Officers
Although they all wear the same insignia and titles, officers are divided into:
- Regular officers of the air force
- Officers of the Armed Forces Commisariat Corps
- Officers of the technical and administrative corps of the armed forces
Généraux - general officers
| NATO rank |
Rank insignia | Name | Description | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoulder | Sleeve | French | English translation | ||
| OF-9 | 
|
|
Général d'armée aérienne | Army air general | In command of an air force. |
| OF-8 | 
|
|
Général de corps aérien | Air corps general | In command of an air force corps. |
| OF-7 | 
|
|
Général de division aérienne | Divisional air general | In command of a division. |
| OF-6 | 
|
|
Général de brigade aérienne | Air brigade general | In command of a brigade, or of a région in the Gendarmerie. |
Officiers supérieurs - senior officers
| NATO rank |
Rank insignia | Name | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoulder | Sleeve | French | English translation | ||
| OF-5 | 
|
|
Colonel | Colonel | |
| OF-4 | 
|
|
Lieutenant-colonel | Lieutenant colonel | |
| OF-3 | 
|
|
Commandant | Commandant | Is equivalent to a major in most English-speaking countries. |
Officiers subalternes - junior officers
| NATO rank |
Rank insignia | Name | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoulder | Camouflage | French | English translation | ||
| OF-2 | 
|
|
Capitaine | Captain | |
| OF-1 | 
|
|
Lieutenant | Lieutenant | |
|
|
Sous-lieutenant | Sub-lieutenant | ||
|
|
Aspirant | Aspirant | An Officer Designate rank. Technically it is not a commissioned rank but it is still treated in all respects as one. Aspirants are either officers in training in military academies or voluntaries, serving as temporary officers. The aspirant must have been previously élève officier (Officer Cadet). They can afterwards be commissioned as a sous-lieutenant. | |
|
|
Élève officier | Officer cadet | A rank held during the first years at the officer academies. | |
Student
-
aspirant élève de l'École de l'air (EA)
(officer candidate, air force academy) -
aspirant élève de l'École militaire de l'air (EMA)
(officer candidate, military flight school) -
élève officier de l'École de l'air (EA)
(officer cadet, air force academy) -
Elève officier du personnel navigant (EOPN)
(navigation officer cadet)
Sous-officiers - sub-officers, i.e. non-commissioned officers
| NATO rank |
Rank insignia | Name | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoulder | French | English translation | ||
| OR-9 | 
|
Major | Major | The senior sub-officer rank, since 1 January 2009 this grade is attached to the sous-officiers. Prior to this date it was an independent corps between the sous-officiers and the officiers. There are relatively few majors in the army, about one per regiment or brigade. As they could hold equivalent administrative tasks as officiers they are more common in the Armée de l'Air. Note the difference with many army rank systems of other countries where the term major is used for a rank above that of captain. For example, the rank of "major" in the US Army or British army is equivalent to the rank of "commandant" in the French army. |
|
Adjudant-chef | Chief Adjutant | Chief Warrant Officer; often same responsibilities as the lieutenant. | |
| OR-8 | 
|
Adjudant | Adjutant | Warrant Officer; often same responsibilities as an adjudant-chef. |
| OR-6 | 
|
Sergent-Chef | Chief sergeant | Addressed as "chef". Typically a platoon second-in-command (equivalent to a Commonwealth sergeant or a US sergeant first class). |
| OR-5 | 
|
Sergent | Sergeant | Typically in command of a "group" (i.e. squad; equivalent to a commonwealth corporal or US staff sergeant) |
|
Élève sous-officier | NCO student | NCO candidates at the EOPN. | |
Etymologically the adjudant is the adjoint ("joint (assistant)") of an officer, and the sergeant "serves" (Latin: serviens = English: servant).
Aspirants are cadet officers still in training. Sous-lieutenants are junior officers and are often aided by adjudants or adjudants-chefs, who are experienced NCOs/warrant officers.
Full lieutenants are experienced junior officers, served by sergeants when commanding their unit.
A four chevron sergent-chef-major rank existed until 1947. It was a ceremonial rank usually given to the most senior or experienced NCO in a unit, similar to a colour sergeant in the British Army. It was discontinued in the post-war army due to its redundancy.
Militaires du rang - Troop ranks
| NATO rank |
Rank insignia | Name | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shoulder | French | English translation | ||
| OR-4 | 
|
Caporal-chef | Chief corporal | Often same responsibilities as a sergent. |
| OR-3 | 
|
Caporal | Corporal | In command of an équipe - literally a team (fireteam). Presently this size unit is a trinôme in the army. |
| OR-2 | 
|
Aviateur de première classe | Aviator first class | |
| OR-1 | 
|
Aviateur de deuxième classe | Aviator second class | |
There are also distinctions to distinguish volunteers and conscripts, and bars for experience (one for five years, up to four can be obtained).
Military chaplains
| Chief Military Chaplain |   
|
| Deputy Chief Military Chaplain |  
|
| Regional military chaplain |   
|
| Military chaplain |  
|
Other Francophone ranks
Francophone officer ranks
Francophone enlisted ranks
See also
References
- ^ a b "Les grades" (PDF). defense.gouv.fr (in French). Ministry of Armed Forces (France). Retrieved 4 June 2021.
- ^ a b "Ranks". mdn.dz. Ministry of National Defence (Algeria). Retrieved 30 May 2021.
- ^ a b "LOI N° 037-2016/AN PORTANT CONDITIONS D'AVANCEMENT DES PERSONNELS D'ACTIVE DES FORCES ARMEES NATIONALES" (PDF) (in French). 2015. pp. 17–21. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ^ a b "Grades appellations distinctions". defense.gouv.cg (in French). Ministry of National Defense (Republic of the Congo). Retrieved 7 June 2021.
- ^ a b "Nos Galons". Ministère de la Défense nationale. 20 August 2021. Archived from the original on 30 August 2023. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
- ^ a b "GRADES / APPELLATIONS / DISTINCTIONS". defense.gouv.ci (in French). Ministère de la Défense. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
- ^ a b "الرتب العسكرية". lebarmy.gov.lb (in Arabic). Lebanese Armed Forces. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ^ a b "LOI N° 96-029 portant Statut Général des Militaires" (PDF). defense.gov.mg (in French). Ministry of Defence (Madagascar). 15 November 1996. p. 2. Retrieved 10 July 2021.
- ^ a b "2011 - Plaquette sur les insignes et blasons des Forces Armées du Mali" (in French). 23 April 2011. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
- ^ "رتب الضباط" [Officer ranks]. armee.mr/ (in Arabic). Armed Forces of Mauritania. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
- ^ a b Ehrenreich, Frederich (1985). "National Security". In Nelson, Harold D. (ed.). Morocco: a country study. Area Handbook (5th ed.). Washington, D.C.: American University. pp. 350–351. LCCN 85600265. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
- ^ a b "Journal officiel de la république togolaise" (PDF) (in French). 12 February 2008. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ a b "Décret n° 72-380 du 6 décembre 1972, portant Statut particulier des militaires". legislation-securite.tn (in French). Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance. 6 December 1972. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
- ^ "LOI N° 019-2015/CNT PORTANT STATUT GENERAL DES PERSONNELS DES FORCES ARMEES NATIONALES" (PDF) (in French). 2014. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ^ "رتب الأفراد غير الضباط" [Ranks of Non-officers]. armee.mr/ (in Arabic). Armed Forces of Mauritania. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
- ^ "أمر عدد 380 لسنة 1972 مؤرخ في 6 ديسمبر 1972 يتعلق بضبط النظام الأساسي الخاص بالعسكريين". legislation-securite.tn (in Arabic). Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance. 6 December 1972. Retrieved 6 April 2023.