Military ranks and rank insignia of Norway were changed June 1, 2016, with the reintroduction of the Non-Commissioned Officer Corps, and the abolishment of the one-tier officer system in place since 1975.[1]
The Storting adopted in 2015 the new scheme for military personnel, Norwegian: Militærordningen.[1] From 2016, the Norwegian Defence Forces have two career ladders for the military personnel; one officer scheme for personnel with a degree from the military academy, or a university degree and qualification courses, and a non-commissioned officer scheme for personnel with non-commissioned officer school.[2] [3] In 2023 the ranks of Norwegian: Korporal 1. klasse, Norwegian: Ledende konstabel, and Norwegian: Seniorspesialist were removed and the navy adopted new enlisted rank insignia.
The rank insignia of commissioned officers.
| NATO code | OF-1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [4] | ||||
| Norwegian: Kadett i 3.avdeling | Norwegian: Kadett i 2. avdeling | Norwegian: Kadett i 1.avdeling | Norwegian: Kadett i KS Gjennomgående | |
The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.
See also: Chief sergeant.
 Army | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norwegian: General | Norwegian: Generalløjtnant | Norwegian: Generalmajor | Norwegian: Oberst | Norwegian: Oberstløitnant | Norwegian: Major | Norwegian: Kaptein/<br>[[Rittmeister|Rittmester]] | Norwegian: Premierløitnant | Norwegian: Sekondløitnant | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Navy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Norwegian: Admiral | Norwegian: Viseadmiral | Norwegian: Kontreadmiral | Norwegian: Kommandør | Norwegian: Kommandørkaptein | Norwegian: Kaptein | Norwegian: Premierløitnant | Norwegian: Sekondløitnant | Norwegian: Kadet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Norway did not have a non-commissioned officer system and thus Sergeant and Petty officer are grouped with the officers under the common designation Norwegian: befal. The officers are divided into three groups: The Norwegian: befal (company officers, ranks Ensign to Captain inclusive), the staff officers (Norwegian: stabsoffiser, ranks Major to brigadier inclusive), and the generals (Major General to General inclusive).
Norwegian: Fenrik (Ensign) used to be referred to as Second Lieutenant (Norwegian: Fenrik), while the rank of lieutenant went by First Lieutenant. The rank of Brigadier is not an old tradition in the Norwegian armed forces and was instated as a replacement for Norwegian: Oberst I (First Colonel); what is now Norwegian: Oberst used to be Norwegian: Oberst II (Second Colonel). As shown, the Cavalry have two ranks which differ from the regular Army: Dragon (Dragoon) instead of Norwegian: Menig (Private), and Norwegian: Rittmester (Rittmeister) instead of Norwegian: Kaptein (Captain).
The ranks of Norwegian: Grenader and Norwegian: Matros were bestowed upon soldiers who have finished the 12 months compulsory service and had signed one or more three-year contracts to continue serving. The ranks of Norwegian: Visekorporal/Visekonstabel/Vingsoldat (Corporal/Leading Rate) were usually ascribed to soldiers with long and/or outstanding service, though may be bestowed on soldiers with extra responsibilities (e.g. the shift-commander among a group of soldiers on guard-duty). A Norwegian: UB-Korporal/Kvartermesteraspirant (Rate Corporal/Petty Officer-in-training) was a soldier who has finished the UB course Norwegian: (Utskrevet Befalskurs), a course intended to prepare conscripted soldiers for non-commissioned officer duties, but still under training in "the field". After one-year course and service these soldiers were qualified for the rank of Norwegian: Sersjant or Norwegian: Kvartermester.
The rank insignia for enlisted for the army, navy and air force respectively.