Rank insignia in the French Air and Space Force are worn on the sleeve or on shoulder marks of uniforms
Although they all wear the same insignia and titles, officers are divided into:
NATO rank | Rank insignia | Name | Description | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shoulder | Sleeve | French | English translation | |||
OF-9 | French: Général d'armée aérienne | Army air general | In command of an air force. | |||
OF-8 | French: Général de corps aérien | Air corps general | In command of an air force corps. | |||
OF-7 | French: Général de division aérienne | Divisional air general | In command of a division. | |||
OF-6 | French: Général de brigade aérienne | Air brigade general | In command of a brigade, or of a French: région in the Gendarmerie. |
NATO rank | Rank insignia | Name | Notes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shoulder | Sleeve | French | English translation | |||
OF-5 | French: Colonel | Colonel | ||||
OF-4 | French: Lieutenant-colonel | Lieutenant colonel | ||||
OF-3 | French: Commandant | Commandant | Is equivalent to a major in most English-speaking countries. |
NATO rank | Rank insignia | Name | Notes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shoulder | Camouflage | French | English translation | |||
OF-2 | French: Capitaine | Captain | ||||
OF-1 | French: Lieutenant | Lieutenant | ||||
French: Sous-lieutenant | Sub-lieutenant | |||||
French: 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 French: élève officier (Officer Cadet). They can afterwards be commissioned as a French: sous-lieutenant. | ||||
French: Élève officier | Officer cadet | A rank held during the first years at the officer academies. |
NATO rank | Rank insignia | Name | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shoulder | French | English translation | |||
OR-9 | French: Major | Major | The senior sub-officer rank, since 1 January 2009 this grade is attached to the French: sous-officiers. Prior to this date it was an independent French: corps between the French: sous-officiers and the French: officiers. There are relatively few French: majors in the army, about one per regiment or brigade. As they could hold equivalent administrative tasks as French: officiers they are more common in the French: [[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. | ||
French: Adjudant-chef | Chief Adjutant | Chief Warrant Officer
| |||
OR-8 | French: Adjudant | Adjutant | Warrant Officer
| ||
OR-6 | French: 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 | French: Sergent | Sergeant | Typically in command of a "group" (i.e. squad; equivalent to a commonwealth corporal or US staff sergeant) | ||
French: Élève sous-officier | NCO student | NCO candidates at the EOPN. |
Etymologically the French: adjudant is the adjoint ("joint (assistant)") of an officer, and the sergeant "serves" (Latin: serviens = English: servant).
French: Aspirants are cadet officers still in training. French: Sous-lieutenants are junior officers and are often aided by French: adjudants or French: adjudants-chefs, who are experienced NCOs/warrant officers.
Full French: lieutenants are experienced junior officers, served by sergeants when commanding their unit.
A four chevron French: 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.
NATO rank | Rank insignia | Name | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shoulder | French | English translation | |||
OR-4 | French: Caporal-chef | Chief corporal | Often same responsibilities as a sergent. | ||
OR-3 | French: Caporal | Corporal | In command of an French: équipe - literally a team (fireteam). Presently this size unit is a French: trinôme in the army. | ||
OR-2 | French: Aviateur de première classe | Aviator first class | |||
OR-1 | French: 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).