Air Force ranks and insignia of India
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Indian Armed Forces | ||||||
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Military Manpower | ||||||
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Components | ||||||
Indian Army Indian Navy Indian Air Force Indian Coast Guard Border Roads Organisation Paramilitary forces of India Central Armed Police Forces Strategic Nuclear Command |
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History | ||||||
Military history of India | ||||||
Ranks and insignia | ||||||
Army • Navy • Air Force • Coast Guard • BRO • Paramilitary forces and CAPF | ||||||
Equivalent ranks of Indian military
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Indian Navy | Indian Army | Indian Air Force |
Commissioned ranks
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Admiral of the fleet |
Field marshal | Marshal of the Indian Air Force |
Admiral | General | Air chief marshal |
Vice admiral | Lieutenant general | Air marshal |
Rear admiral | Major general | Air vice marshal |
Commodore | Brigadier | Air commodore |
Captain | Colonel | Group captain |
Commander | Lieutenant colonel | Wing commander |
Lieutenant commander | Major | Squadron leader |
Lieutenant | Captain | Flight lieutenant |
Sub lieutenant | Lieutenant | Flying officer |
Junior commissioned ranks
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Master chief petty officer 1st class |
Subedar major[Alt 1] | Master warrant officer |
Master chief petty officer 2nd class |
Subedar[Alt 2] | Warrant officer |
Chief petty officer |
Naib subedar[Alt 3] | Junior warrant officer |
Non-commissioned ranks
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Petty officer | Havildar | Sergeant |
Leading seaman | Naik | Corporal |
Seaman 1 | Lance naik | Leading aircraftsman |
Seaman 2 | Sepoy | Aircraftsman |
Footnotes
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The Indian Air Force's rank structure is based on that of the Royal Air Force. The highest rank attainable in the Indian Air Force is Marshal of the Indian Air Force, conferred by the President of India after exceptional service during wartime. MIAF Arjan Singh was the only officer to have achieved this rank. The head of the Indian Air Force is the Chief of the Air Staff, who holds the rank of Air Chief Marshal. The current Chief of the Air Staff is Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, took office on 30 September 2021.
Officer ranks[]
The following table shows the officer rank insignia for the Indian Air Force.
Rank group | General/flag officers | Field/senior officers | Junior officers | Officer cadet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Service uniform | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Indian Air Force[1] |
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Marshal of the Indian Air Force | Air chief marshal | Air marshal | Air vice marshal | Air commodore | Group captain | Wing commander | Squadron leader | Flight lieutenant | Flying officer | Flight cadet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ceremonial/ War time rank |
Held by the Chief of Defence Staff and/or the Chief of the Air Staff |
The IAF rank of pilot officer is a rank in abeyance in the Air Force and is no longer in force, all officers begin as flying officers upon commissioning.
Junior commissioned officer and non-commissioned ranks[]
Rank group | Junior commissioned officers | Non commissioned officer | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Indian Air Force[2] |
No insignia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Master warrant officer | Warrant officer | Junior warrant officer | Sergeant | Corporal | Leading aircraftsman | Aircraftsman |
Ranks that are no longer in use[]
The rank of Pilot Officer is no longer in use; all new officers are commissioned as Flying Officers. The old warrant officer ranks and the rank of flight sergeant were replaced in 1977 by the new warrant officer ranks.[3]
Officers | Non-commissioned officers | ||||
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Shoulder Insignia |
Arm | ||||
Rank | Pilot officer |
Warrant officer | Junior warrant officer |
Flight sergeant |
See also[]
- Comparative military ranks
- Army ranks and insignia of India
- Naval ranks and insignia of India
- Police ranks and insignia of India
References[]
- ^ "For Officers". careerairforce.nic.in. Indian Air Force. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
- ^ "For Airmen". careerairforce.nic.in. Indian Air Force. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
- ^ "IAF officers badges". 15 May 1977. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
- Indian Air Force
- Air force ranks
- Military ranks of India
- Military insignia