Air Chief Marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a senior air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force (RAF). Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Johns GCB, KCVO, CBE (born 28 July 1939) is a former Chief of the Air Staff An Air Officer is a British Royal Air Force officer of rank Air Commodore or higher [1] The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. Officers in the rank of Air Chief Marshal typically hold appointments such as the air force or armed forces commander in those nations which have significant military capability. An Air Chief Marshal may be described generically as an "Air Marshal".
Contents |
Seniority
Air Chief Marshal is a 4 star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-9. An officer of 4 star rank is a very senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO code of OF-9. The North Atlantic Treaty An Air Chief Marshal is equivalent to a full Admiral or a full General. Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks of the highest Naval officers
The rank of Air Chief Marshal is immediately senior to the rank of Air Marshal but subordinate to Marshal of the Royal Air Force (or other national equivalent - see Marshal of the Air Force). This article is about the air force rank Air marshal (or Sky marshal) is also the term given to federal security agents who travel undercover aboard commercial Marshal of the Royal Air Force ( MRAF) is the highest rank in the Royal Air Force. Marshal of the Air Force may be used as a generic term for a rank in some Air forces which use a similar title with their air force's name inserted as their most senior rank Although no RAF officer has been promoted to Marshal of the Royal Air Force since the British defence cuts of the 1990s, British Air Chief Marshals are not the most senior officers in the RAF as several retired officers continue to retain the RAF's highest rank. Equally, in the Indian Air Force, the honorary promotion of Arjan Singh to Marshal of the Indian Air Force in 2002 resulted in Indian Air Chief Marshals no longer being the most senior IAF officers. The Indian Air Force (Devanāgarī भारतीय वायु सेना IAST Bhartiya Vāyu Senā is the air arm of the Armed Forces of India and has the Marshal of the Air Force Arjan Singh, DFC (15 April 1919- is the only officer of the Indian Air Force to be promoted to Five star rank Marshal of the Air Force may be used as a generic term for a rank in some Air forces which use a similar title with their air force's name inserted as their most senior rank
| Common military ranks | ||
|---|---|---|
| Navies1 | Armies2 | Air Forces3 |
| Admiral of the Fleet |
Field Marshal | Marshal of the Air Force |
| Admiral | General | Air Chief Marshal |
| Vice Admiral | Lt. General | Air Marshal |
| Rear Admiral | Major General | Air Vice-Marshal |
| Commodore | Brigadier | Air Commodore |
| Captain | Colonel | Group Captain |
| Commander | Lt. Colonel | Wing Commander |
| Lt. Commander | Major | Squadron Leader |
| Lieutenant | Captain | Flight Lieutenant |
| Sub-Lieutenant | Lieutenant | Flying Officer |
| Warrant Officer | Sergeant Major | Warrant Officer |
| Petty Officer | Sergeant | Sergeant |
| Leading Rate | Corporal | Corporal |
| Seaman | Private | Aircraftman |
| 1 in the English-speaking world 2 also some Air Forces 3 In many Commonwealth countries |
||
Origins
Prior to the adoption of RAF-specific rank titles in 1919, it was suggested that the RAF might use the Royal Navy's officer ranks, with the word "Air" inserted before the naval rank title. Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in Armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines An Admiral of the Fleet or Fleet Admiral is a military Naval officer of the highest rank For other meanings see Field Marshal (disambiguation Field marshal is a military officer rank Marshal of the Air Force may be used as a generic term for a rank in some Air forces which use a similar title with their air force's name inserted as their most senior rank Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks of the highest Naval officers Vice Admiral is a naval rank equivalent to Lieutenant General in seniority Lieutenant General is a Military rank used in many countries The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the This article is about the air force rank Air marshal (or Sky marshal) is also the term given to federal security agents who travel undercover aboard commercial Rear admiral is a Naval Commissioned officer rank above that of a Commodore and Captain, and below that of a Vice Admiral. Major General or Major-General is a Military rank used in many countries Air Vice-Marshal ( AVM) is an Air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. Commodore is a Military rank used in many navies for officers whose position exceeds that of a navy captain, but is less than This article refers to the military rank For the Doctor Who character known as the Brigadier see Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart. Air Commodore ( Air Cdre in the RAF, AIRCDRE in the RNZAF and RAAF, A/C in the former RCAF) is a rank in For information specifically on the Royal Navy rank of captain see Captain (Royal Navy. Colonel ( RP ˈkɜnəl GA ˈkɜrnəl is a Military rank of a Commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every country Group Captain ( Gp Capt in the RAF and Indian Air Force, GPCAPT in the RNZAF and RAAF, G/C in the former Commander is a Military rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service Lieutenant Colonel ( Lieutenant-Colonel in English from the French grade 's spelling is a rank of Commissioned officer in the armies Wing Commander ( Wg Cdr in the RAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, W/C in the former RCAF) is a commissioned Lieutenant Commander ( Lieutenant-Commander in the Royal Navy) is a Commissioned officer rank in many navies Superior Major is a Military rank the use of which varies according to country Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence Lieutenant (abbreviated Lt or Lieut) is a Military, Naval, Paramilitary, Fire service, Emergency medical services Flight Lieutenant ( Flt Lt in the RAF; FLTLT in the RAAF and RNZAF, F/L in the former RCAF) is a junior Sub-Lieutenant is a military rank It is normally a junior officer rank Lieutenant (abbreviated Lt or Lieut) is a Military, Naval, Paramilitary, Fire service, Emergency medical services Flying Officer ( Fg Off in the RAF FLGOFF in the RAAF FGOFF in the RNZAF F/O in the former RCAF and frequently in the RAF is a junior commissioned A Warrant Officer ( WO) is a member of a military organization holding one of a specific group of ranks. A Sergeant Major is a rank or appointment in many militaries around the world A Warrant Officer ( WO) is a member of a military organization holding one of a specific group of ranks. A Petty Officer is a noncommissioned officer or equivalent in many navies. Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries police forces and other uniformed organizations around the world Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries police forces and other uniformed organizations around the world Leading Rating (or Leading Rate) is the most senior of the junior rates in the British Royal Navy. Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and also by some police forces or other uniformed organizations Corporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and also by some police forces or other uniformed organizations Seaman as a rate refers to one of the lowest rates in a Navy. A Private is a Soldier of the lowest Military rank (equivalent to NATO Rank Grades OR-1 to OR-3 depending on the force served in Aircraftman ( AC) or Aircraftwoman ( ACW) is the lowest rank in the Royal Air Force and the Air forces of several other Commonwealth The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) For example, the rank that later became Air Chief Marshal would have been Air Admiral. The Admiralty objected to any use of their rank titles, including this modified form, and so an alternative proposal was put forward: Air Officer ranks would be based on the term "Ardian", which was derived from a combination of the Gaelic words for "chief" (ard) and "bird" (eun), with the unmodified word "Ardian" being used specifically for the equivalent to full Admiral and General. The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the United Kingdom responsible for the command of the Royal Navy. An Air Officer is a British Royal Air Force officer of rank Air Commodore or higher The Goidelic languages, (also sometimes called particularly in colloquial situations the Gaelic languages or collectively Gaelic) historically formed a Dialect However, Air Chief Marshal was preferred and was adopted on 1 August 1919. Events 30 BC - Octavian (later known as Augustus enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman The rank was first used on 1 April 1922. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1922 ( MCMXXII) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
RAF usage
In the RAF, the rank of Air Chief Marshal is held by the current Chief of the Air Staff and the Commander-in-Chief of Air Command. The Chief of the Air Staff is the professional head of the Royal Air Force and a member of both the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Air Force Board. Air Command is the only command currently active in the Royal Air Force. Additionally, RAF officers serving in British 4 star rotational posts hold the rank. An officer of 4 star rank is a very senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO code of OF-9.
The rank insignia consists of three narrow light blue bands (each on a slightly wider black band) over a light blue band on a broad black band. This is worn on the both the lower sleeves of the service dress jacket or on the shoulders of the flying suit or the casual uniform. The command flag for an RAF Air Chief Marshal is defined by the two broad red bands running through the centre of the flag. The vehicle star plate for an RAF Air Chief Marshal depicts four white stars (Air Chief Marshal is equivalent to a four star rank) on an air force blue background.
 An RAF Air Chief Marshal's sleeve/shoulder insignia |
 An RAF Air Chief Marshal's command flag |
 An RAF Air Chief Marshal's star plate |
Other air forces
English-speaking countries
The rank of Air Chief Marshal is also used in the air forces of many countries which have English as an official language and were under British influence around the time their air force was founded. This includes many the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. Officers have served in the rank of Air Chief Marshal in the Indian Air Force, Pakistan Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Sri Lanka Air Force and the Air Force of Zimbabwe. The Indian Air Force (Devanāgarī भारतीय वायु सेना IAST Bhartiya Vāyu Senā is the air arm of the Armed Forces of India and has the Pakistan Air Force ( Urdu: پاک فضائیہ, Pak Faza'ya) ( PAF) is the Aviation branch of the Pakistan armed forces The Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF) is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The Sri Lanka Air Force ( SLAF) is the aerial defence division and the youngest of the Sri Lankan Tri Forces. The Air Force of Zimbabwe ( AFZ) is the Air force of Zimbabwe. It is also maintained as a rank in the Bangladesh Air Force, Ghana Air Force, Nigerian Air Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force but not all of these air forces have ever actually used it. The Bangladesh Air Force (বাংলােদশ িবমান বািহনী Bangladesh Biman Bahini in Bangla) is the tactical and strategic air branch The Ghana Air Force ( GAF) is the Air force of the African nation of Ghana. The Nigerian Air Force is the air arm of the Nigerian military. The Royal New Zealand Air Force ( RNZAF) is the air arm of the New Zealand Defence Force.
Royal Australian Air Force
In Australia, this rank is only used when the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) is an Air Force Officer. See Air Chief Marshal for other countries which use this rank Air Chief Marshal is the highest active rank of the Royal Australian Chief of the Defence Force (CDF is the most senior appointment in the Australian Defence Force (ADF. [2] When this is not the case, the senior ranking Air Force officer is the Chief of Air Force, an Air Marshal. Chief of Air Force (CAF is the most senior appointment in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF responsible to the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF and the See Air Marshal for other countries which use this rank Air Marshal is the second highest active rank of the Royal Australian Air
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force used this rank until the 1968 unification of the Canadian Forces, when Army-type rank titles after the American pattern were adopted and an Air Chief Marshal became a General. The Canadian Forces (CF ( French: Forces canadiennes) are the unified Armed forces of Canada, governed by the National Defence [3]
Use in non-English-speaking countries
The rank of Air Chief Marshal is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In such situations, it is sometimes the case that the non-English rank might also be translated as "general". Nonetheless, it is commonly found in English translations relating to officers in the following air forces:
- Egyptian Air Force
- Hellenic Air Force (Greek: Pterarchos)
- Indonesian Air Force (Indonesian: Marsekal - literally just "Marshal")
- Royal Thai Air Force (Thai: Phon Akat Ek)
 A Hellenic Air Force air chief marshal's rank insignia |
 A Royal Thai Air Force air chief marshal's rank insignia |
Notable air chief marshals
- Hugh Dowding, commander of Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain. The Egyptian Air Force, or EAF (القوات الجوية المصرية) is the aviation branch of the Egyptian armed forces. The Hellenic Air Force ( HAF) (in Πολεμική Αεροπορία ( ΠΑ) Polemikí Aeroporía, literally "Military Aviation" Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly See also List of aircraft of the Indonesian Air Force The Indonesian Air Force ( Indonesian: Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara or Indonesian or Bahasa Indonesia, based on the Riau version of Malay language, was declared the official language with the declaration of The Royal Thai Air Force or RTAF ( Thai: กองทัพอากาศไทย Kong Thab Akat Thai is the Air force of the Kingdom of Thailand Thai (th ภาษาไทย, transcription: phasa thai, transliteration:; pʰāːsǎːtʰāj is the national and Air Chief Marshal Hugh Caswell Tremenheere Dowding 1st Baron Dowding GCB, GCVO, CMG ( 24 April 1882 &ndash 15 February Fighter Command was one of three functional commands that dominated the public perception of the Royal Air Force for much of the mid-20th century
- Lloyd Samuel Breadner, the first Canadian to hold the rank. Air Chief Marshal Lloyd Samuel Breadner CB, DSC ( July 14, 1894, Carleton Place Ontario - March 14, 1952 [4]
- Angus Houston, current Chief of the Australian Defence Force. Air Chief Marshal Allan Grant "Angus" Houston AC, AFC is the Chief of the Australian Defence Force, as of 4 July 2005 Chief of the Defence Force (CDF is the most senior appointment in the Australian Defence Force (ADF.
See also
References and notes
- ^ Ranks and Badges of the Royal Air Force. Origins Lieutenant-General David Henderson originally proposed that Royal Air Force officers use a combination of British Army and Royal Navy The Royal Australian Air Force inherited its rank structure from the Royal Air Force. This article is a list of various States Armed forces ranking designations Royal Air Force (2007). Retrieved on 2007-12-01. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 800 - Charlemagne judges the accusations against Pope Leo III in the Vatican
- ^ To date, only three Australians have held this rank: Frederick Scherger, Neville McNamara and Angus Houston. Air Chief Marshal Sir Frederick Rudolph William Scherger KBE, CB, DSO, AFC ( 18 May 1904 &ndash 17 Air Chief Marshal Sir Neville Patrick McNamara KBE, AO, AFC, AE (born 17 April[[ 923]] was a senior commander in the Air Chief Marshal Allan Grant "Angus" Houston AC, AFC is the Chief of the Australian Defence Force, as of 4 July 2005
- ^ Only two Canadians held this rank: Lloyd Samuel Breadner and Frank Robert Miller. Air Chief Marshal Lloyd Samuel Breadner CB, DSC ( July 14, 1894, Carleton Place Ontario - March 14, 1952 Air Chief Marshal Frank Robert Miller CC, CBE, CD ( April 30, 1908 &ndash October 20, 1997)
- ^ Biography of L. S. Breadner
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