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Do you want to join Indian Army, Navy or Air Force? Before applying for any job vacancy, every defense aspirant look for the equivalent ranks of Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. Primarily, the ranks of Indian Armed Forces are categorized into:
- Commissioned Officers
- Personnel Below Officer Rank
About Commissioned Officers
Every defense aspirant who undergo SSB (Service Selection Board) and recommended to join the defence forces are considered as commissioned officers. They are Grade-A officer who join the armed forces through various officer-level entries like NDA, CDS, TGC, TES, TA, AFCAT, INET, etc. Commissioned officers are trained to lead the men into the battlefield & command platoon/company to brigades, division, corps, and the whole army.
Officers are further categorized into Permanent Commission & Short Service Commission, based on their service tenure. Armed force officers who have 14 years of service are termed as short service commission whereas others are given permanent commission.
Officer Ranks of Army, Navy & Air Force
| Air Force | Army | Navy |
|---|---|---|
| CAS | COAS | CNS |
| Air Marshall (AOC-in-C / VCAS) | Lieutenant General (Army Commodore / VCOAS) | Vice Admiral / FOC-in-C / VCNS) |
| Air Marshall | Lieutenant General | Vice Admiral |
| AVM | Major General | Rear Admiral |
| Air Commodore | Brigadier | Captain |
| Group Captain | Colonel | Captain |
| Wing Commander (S) | Lieutenant Colonel (S) | Commander (S) |
| Wing Commander (TS) | Lieutenant Colonel (TS) | Commander (TS) |
| Squadron Leader | Major | Lieutenant Commander |
| Flight Lieutenant | Captain | Lieutenant |
| Flying Officer | Lieutenant | Sub Lieutenant |
Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBOR)
All soldiers of Indian Army, Navy and Air Force who join the armed forces as soldiers are termed as PBORs. These soldiers execute responsibilities assigned to them by the commissioned officers. They are recruited through exams like Indian Army Rally, Air Force Group X & Y, Indian Navy SSR, MR, and AA.
PBORs are further classified into:
- JCO’s (Junior Commissioned Officer)
- NCO’s (Non – commissioned Officer)
Ranks of Personnel Below Officer Ranks
| Indian Army | Indian Navy | Indian Air Force |
| Subedar Major | Master Chief Petty Officer – I | Master Warrant Officer |
| Subedar | Master Chief Petty Officer – II | Warrant Officer |
| Naib Subedar | Chief Petty Officer | Junior Warrant Officer |
| Havildar | Petty Officer | Sergeant |
| Ride | Leading Seaman | Corporal |
| Lance Rise | Seaman I | Leading Aircraftman |
| Sepoy | Seaman II | Aircraftman |
Insignia of Armed Forces
Insignia or shoulder insignia is a badge that represents the ranks of an officer or a person below officer rank. The shoulder insignia (badges) provide a distinction between various ranks of armed forces.
Insignia of Indian Army Officers
Insignia of Indian Army PBOR
Insignia of Indian Air Force Officers
Insignia of Indian Air Force PBOR
Insignia of Indian Navy Officers
Insignia of Indian Navy PBOR
