The Indian Navy Rank Structure: Everything You Need to Know
The Indian Navy Rank Structure has its roots in the British Royal Navy, and the ranks still retain their British names today. There are two groups of ranks: those that come from the Royal Navy and those that are unique to the Indian Navy. The structure also undergoes some changes every once in a while, so it’s important to keep up with these changes if you are an aspiring officer or sailor with dreams of making it big in the Indian Navy one day.
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The Indian Navy Rank Structure
Now here I am going to show or explain to you about that the Indian Navy Rank Structure. So let me start;
What is the rank of Captain?
In our Indian Navy Rank structure, a Captain is designated by three silver stars on each shoulder. The rank of Captain (abbreviated as Cdr) is senior to that of Commander (Cdr) and junior to that of Rear Admiral (RAdm). The Indian Navy has five grades of Commanders in ascending order as follows: Commander, Lieutenant Commander, Lieutenant, Sub-Lieutenant and Ensign.
There are also two ranks at Commodore level: Commodore (Cdre) and Rear Admiral Upper Half (RAUH). A Commodore outranks a Commander while an RAUH outranks both Cdre and Cdr. As per Indian Navy Rank structure rules, you can rise from Ensign straight through all these ranks till you reach the rank of Admiral which comes with four stars on each shoulder.
After completing a four-year undergraduate degree, you must attend a five-month officer training course before taking command of your first ship. To become a lieutenant commander, you need to serve for at least three years in any one rank. Your promotions will be based on merit and seniority.
The Indian Navy Rank structure is unique in its own way as well. Let’s take a look at what it means to be an Indian Navy officer. What is The Indian Navy Rank Structure?
Indian naval officers are divided into two main categories – Commissioned Officers (COs) and Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs). Within these two categories are many ranks, each with their own responsibilities. Let’s take a look at what it means to be an Indian Navy officer. What is The Indian Navy Rank Structure?
The Indian Navy ranks junior officers from Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG) through Lieutenant Commander. These ranks were introduced in 2006 and feature a unique insignia for each rank—no insignia carries over from one grade to another. While each grade features a unique name, it’s also common for these positions to be referred to as something else entirely. For example, LTJGs are often called junior lieutenants or simply lieutenants. LCDRs are often called commanders. And so on.
What is the rank of Warrant Officer?
The WO is next in rank to a Lieutenant Commander and acts as both his deputy and advisor, with full authority on board. He also is responsible for several administrative duties including mess, supply, navigational records and command information systems management. And if you’re wondering how do I join indian navy, you should know that aspiring cadets need to be 171⁄2 years old when they apply and pass a number of physical tests, interviews and written exams.
To gain admittance into an officer training program, you must first meet specific age requirements – check out everything you need to join indian navy by reviewing our officer admissions page. After being accepted into an educational institution program, candidates will move through an intensive academic and practical training period designed specifically for those preparing to become officers in their chosen fields.
What are Commissioned Officers?
Commissioned officers are military officers who hold a commission—an official administrative document issued by a government agency which designates an individual as part of that agency. A commissioned officer is typically a member of a country’s armed forces, police, or fire department and is considered to be part of that particular country’s national defense or law enforcement.
It’s important to note that commissioned officers are not necessarily in command positions; rather, they are given authority from their superiors and charged with leading soldiers into battle or members within their departments.
The following list offers more information about what each rank represents in India’s Indian Navy Rank structure. The Indian Navy Rank structure consists of five different types of commissioned officers:
Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO),
Senior Commissioned Officers (SCO),
Chief Petty Officers (CPO), Petty Officers (PO) and
Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO).
Each rank listed above has its own pay grade associated with it and follows strict guidelines regarding eligibility requirements, job duties, responsibilities and benefits for those enlisted. This guide will discuss everything you need to know about these ranks.
A Detailed Look at Commissioned Officers in Army, Air Force and Navy
The commissioned officers’ hierarchy in India’s Army, Air Force and Navy is detailed below. This is what you should know about officers in Army, Air Force and Navy.
Chapter 1 – Commissioned Officers in Army Chapter 2 – Commissioned Officers in Air Force Chapter 3 – Commissioned Officers in Navy– Officer ranks, insignia and payScale of Pay (in Rs.) Chapter 4 – Final Notes Army– Officer ranks, insignia and payScale of Pay (in Rs.)
Chapter 5 – Final Notes Air Force – Officer ranks, insignia and payScale of Pay (in Rs.)
Final Notes on Military Ranks in India1. A Major General is higher rank than a Brigadier.2.
Common Indian Navy (IN) Ranks with Details & Job Description
TheThe Indian Navy is one of India’s three military services, established in 1950 and as such, it has its own rank structure. An enlisted Indian Navy (IN) sailor (regardless of gender) begins as a Cadet or Midshipman in officer training and receives promotion by merit. The top two ranks in India’s armed forces, Field Marshal and Admiral of the Fleet are honorary ranks; they have not been bestowed since 1961. What follows below is a list of common Indian Navy ranks with their abbreviations, details and job descriptions.
Please note that all job titles are preceded by Hindi terms with appropriate diacritics for transliteration into English letters. These are given to those who cannot read the Devanagari script. Where applicable, alternative names/titles in other languages used by some navies around the world are also given in parentheses.
Top 11 Most Important Indian Navy Ranks
1- Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief(FOC-in-C): This officer holds overall command of all naval formations at sea including aircraft carriers and other major warships. In peace time he/she reports directly to Chief of Naval Staff but during war he/she takes orders from only Commander-in-Chief (CINC).
2 – Vice Admiral : A Rear Admiral commanding a task force comprising multiple warships reporting directly to FOC. He is also in charge of an entire region of ocean under his jurisdiction, such as South Western Pacific Ocean or North Western Atlantic Ocean.
3 – Vice Admiral (Air) : As per current Indian Navy rank structure, VAdm(A)s are senior most officers in navy who hold operational control over all maritime air operations including land based assets like India’s Light Combat Aircraft, MiG 29Ks and helicopters deployed on board surface ships as well as India’s sole aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya.
4 – Commodore (Maritime Reconnaissance): CO MR squadron is equivalent to Major General rank in army. These officers head several reconnaissance squadrons tasked with conducting surveillance and intelligence gathering missions along Indian coastline, littoral areas and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
5 – Commodore Commanding-in-Chief (East),Commodore Commanding-in-Chief (West),Commodore Commanding Air Defence & Anti Submarine Warfare Wing etc.: These Indian Navy ranks include commodores who lead commands responsible for protecting our coastal regions from enemy attacks by sea or air. They are responsible for anti submarine warfare missions, conducting anti submarine patrols using submarines, anti sub aircraft patrols using maritime patrol aircrafts and controlling armed forces stationed on islands off Indian coastlines like Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
6 – Captain: An Indian Navy captain is second in command of a warship after captain of ship himself. Captains are responsible for day to day running of warship and its crew.
7 – Commander: Officers holding these Indian Navy ranks control small flotillas of warships comprising frigates, corvettes and missile boats. They also supervise anti submarine warfare missions conducted by destroyers, frigates or corvettes against enemy submarines threatening Indian coastlines.
8 – Lieutenant Commander: LTCs are in charge of individual destroyers, corvettes and missile boats.
9 – Lieutenant: Lieutenants serve onboard individual destroyers, corvettes and missile boats as executive officers (XO) to commanders or lieutenants commander.
10 – Lieutenant Junior Grade: LTJGs serve onboard individual destroyers, corvettes and missile boats as executive officers (XO) to commanders or lieutenants commander.
11 – Midshipman / Ensign / Sub lieutenant / Probationary Flight Lieutenant : All cadets joining Indian Navy begin their careers as midshipmen regardless of their chosen stream i.e., engineering or navigation.
While it may seem overwhelming, don’t let Indian Navy rank structure overwhelm you. While it can be confusing at first, once you figure out how promotions and transfers work, you should have a good handle on Indian navy ranks. If you ever have any questions or need more details about different ranks and structures, feel free to ask in our comments section! Thanks for reading. As always- Happy Job Hunting!
