Ship ranks in the navy are used in the Russian Navy and are assigned to sailors to the extent they are able to take responsibility for the command of a particular military personnel. They are also assigned to the military coast guard of the border troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, underwater and surface units of the Navy and naval units of the troops.
Almost all naval ranks differ from the missile and ground forces, airborne forces and airborne forces. From 1884 to 1991 they changed due to a number of events:
- the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917;
- the creation of the Soviet Union and its subsequent collapse 1922-1991;
- creation of the Russian Federation in 1991
Modern ranks in the navy are divided into 4 categories:
1. Conscripts of conscript and contract service. These include: sailor, senior sailor, foreman of the second class, petty officer of the first class and the chief petty officer. The senior ranks also include a midshipman and a senior midshipman.
2. Junior officers of the fleet. These are: junior lieutenant, lieutenant, senior lieutenant and lieutenant commander.
3. Senior officers of the Navy. Ranks are divided into: captains of the third, second and first rank.
4. Senior officers. Consists of: rear admiral, vice admiral, admiral and fleet admiral.
Detailed description of ship ranks in ascending order
Sailor- a junior rank in the navy that corresponds to a land private. These are conscripts for military service.
Senior sailor- a parallel to the army rank of corporal, which is assigned to a sailor for maintaining discipline and exemplary performance of duties. Can be an assistant sergeant major and replace a sergeant major of the second class.
Petty Officers
Foreman of the second article- junior rank in the senior ranks, which was introduced on November 2, 1940. Situated in rank above the senior sailor and below the first class petty officer. May be a squad leader.
Petty Officer of the first article- a sailor of the fleet who is ranked higher in rank than the petty officer of the second article, but below the chief petty officer. Second in order of growth in the list of senior officers, introduced on November 2, 1940. This is a squad commander who has shown excellent results in performing military and organizational duties.
Chief petty officer– military rank in the Navy of the Russian Federation and Coast Guard. Occupies a place between the first class petty officer and the midshipman of the fleet. The naval rank of chief naval sergeant corresponds to the army rank of senior sergeant. Can replace a platoon commander.
Midshipman– a word of English origin, which is assigned to a sailor after completing appropriate training programs and courses. In land terms, this is an ensign. Performs organizational and combat duties within the framework of a platoon commander or company sergeant major.
Senior midshipman- a military rank in the Russian Navy, which is higher in rank than midshipman, but lower than junior lieutenant. Similarly - senior warrant officer in other branches of the military.
Junior officers
Rank junior lieutenant comes from French and translates as "substitute". Occupies the first rank in the junior officer ranks, both in the ground and naval forces. May be a post or platoon commander.
Lieutenant- second among ranks in the navy, in rank above junior lieutenant and below senior lieutenant. Awarded upon completion of service with the rank of junior lieutenant.
Senior Lieutenant- a naval rank of junior officers in Russia, which is higher in rank than lieutenant and lower than lieutenant commander. With excellent performance in the service, he can be an assistant to the captain of a ship.
Lieutenant Commander- the highest rank of junior officers, which in the Russian Federation and Germany corresponds to captain of the army of the ground forces. A sailor with this rank is considered the deputy captain of the ship and the commander of a company of hundreds of subordinates.
Senior officers
Captain 3rd rank- corresponds to an army major. The abbreviated name for the shoulder strap is “captri”. Responsibilities include commanding a ship of the appropriate rank. These are small military vessels: landing craft, anti-submarine ships, torpedo ships and minesweepers.
Captain of the second rank, or “kapdva” is the rank of sailor in the Navy, which corresponds to lieutenant colonel in land ranks. This is the commander of a ship of the same rank: large landing ships, missile and destroyers.
Captain of the first rank, or “kapraz”, “kapturang” is a military rank in the Russian Navy, which is higher in rank than captain of the second rank and lower than rear admiral. May 7, 1940 exists among ranks in the navy, decided the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. "Kapturang" commands ships with complex control and enormous military power: aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines and cruisers.
Senior officers
Rear Admiral can command a squadron of ships and replace the commander of a flotilla. Adopted since 1940 and since that time corresponds to major general of the ground forces and aviation.
Vice Admiral- a rank of sailors in Russia, which allows you to replace an admiral. Corresponds to a lieutenant general of the ground forces. Manages the actions of flotillas.
Admiral translated from Dutch as “lord of the sea”, therefore he is a member of the senior officer corps. Army employees are assigned the rank of Colonel General. Manages the active fleet.
Fleet Admiral- the highest active rank, as well as in other types of troops, army general. Manages the fleet and is assigned to active admirals with excellent combat, organizational and strategic performance.
What types of troops are assigned naval ranks?
The Navy of the Russian Federation (RF Navy) also includes the following units:
- Marine Corps;
- coast guard;
- naval aviation.
The Marine Corps is a unit that carries out the defense of military installations, coastal areas and other sea lines. The Marines include sabotage and reconnaissance groups. The Marine Corps motto is: “Where we are, there is victory.”
The Coast Guard is a branch of the military that defends Russian naval bases and special facilities in the coastal zone. They have at their disposal anti-aircraft, torpedo, mine weapons, as well as missile systems and other artillery.
Naval aviation is troops whose responsibilities include detecting and destroying the enemy, defending ships and other elements from enemy forces, and destroying enemy aircraft, helicopters and other air structures. Russian aviation also carries out air transportation and rescue operations on the high seas.
How and for what is the next rank assigned to sailors?
The assignment of the next title is specified in the current laws of the Russian Federation:
- For a senior sailor, you must serve 5 months;
- obtaining a sergeant major 2nd article can be expected after a year of service;
- three years for senior sergeant and chief petty officer;
- three years to become a midshipman;
- 2 years for junior lieutenant;
- 3 for promotion to lieutenant and first lieutenant;
- 4 years to become a captain-lieutenant and captain of the 3rd rank.
- 5 years to captain 2nd and 1st rank;
- for senior officers, at least a year at the previous rank.
It is also worth knowing that military ranks in the navy may be assigned if the due date has not yet passed, but the military man has demonstrated his organizational, tactical and strategic abilities. A bad sailor is one who does not want to become an admiral, especially since it is possible. There are many examples of motivated, big-thinking sailors who became admirals.
Who is higher - major general or lieutenant general? People who have not served in the army cannot answer this seemingly simple question with one hundred percent certainty. Many argue that the issue is the number of stars on officers' uniforms. Whoever has more of them is, accordingly, senior in military rank. A lieutenant general and a lieutenant in the Russian army wear two stars, and a major general and a major wear one. It turns out that the lieutenant general is older?
Others say that the highest ranks are given in reverse order, from Colonel General to Lieutenant General. Still others believe that since an ordinary major is senior to a lieutenant, then the highest officer ranks follow in the same order. In fact, all these versions have nothing to do with reality. How to figure out who is higher - a major general or a lieutenant general? To do this, it is necessary to turn to the history of the emergence of the highest military ranks.
So who is higher: major general or lieutenant general?
In the modern Russian army, major general is the first highest rank for an officer. It is received after the colonel. He is followed by a lieutenant general. Next, the two highest ranks for an officer are colonel general and army general.
Higher officer ranks in the Russian army
These ranks appeared in the Russian army at the end of the 17th century and existed for more than two centuries, until 1917. After the revolution, the decree “On the equalization of rights of military personnel” came into force. Service categories were introduced instead of ranks. At this time, there was no question of who was higher - a major general or a lieutenant general.
All military ranks were abolished, and the uniform of Soviet soldiers lacked shoulder straps, orders and other traditional insignia. They returned to the previous system of officer ranks only in 1935. And a few years later, the highest military ranks were also returned.
What does the general command?
Why is a lieutenant general higher than a major general? A major general commands large military formations: a division, a corps. He may also be the deputy district commander. On his shoulder straps there is one large star. A lieutenant general can command a military district or a separate army. You rarely see such officers in ordinary units; they serve in headquarters. The lieutenant general's shoulder straps have two large stars.
The history of military ranks
By the way, all officers appeared in France in the 14th century. Therefore, the names of most military ranks have French roots. At first, the word "general" was used only as a prefix to the rank in the meaning of "chief". But then they began to designate a special highest military rank.
The heads of knightly orders were also called generals. And in the 18th century, lieutenant generals were already called the king’s governors in the French provinces. In the Guards troops, the word “guards” is added to the name of the rank.
Currently, general ranks exist in most armies of the world. At the same time, the system of army ranks is constantly undergoing changes. It may differ depending on belonging to a particular branch of the military, police and other services. In different countries, the same name denotes different titles and positions.
Military reform of Peter the Great
Generals appeared in the Russian army under Emperor Peter the Great, when military reform was carried out and the “Table of Ranks” was introduced. This document made it possible to compare military ranks in ordinary and guards units with civilian ones. The state now has a regular army. General conscription and compulsory military service for the nobility were also introduced. It was there that they received officer ranks.
Before the reform, mercenaries from other states were called into service. And for a long time the rank of lieutenant general was used only in the navy. It is interesting that before the military reform, commanders were called by the number of soldiers subordinate to him (for example, a thousand-man). This system was used for a long time in parallel with the new one.
Each subsequent emperor made his own changes to the Table of Ranks. By the way, in many European armies at that time there was no rank of “lieutenant”; instead, the rank of “lieutenant” was used. There was also the rank of “full general” (in the modern Russian army it corresponds to the rank of army general). And the word “lieutenant” was used to mean deputy commander.
To finally understand why a lieutenant general is older than a major general, it should be noted that ranks in the army determine the rights and responsibilities of a serviceman. They correspond to a specific position. There is even a special term “service compliance”. Why is a major general younger than a lieutenant general? Initially, ranks designated only the duties assigned to a soldier or officer. That is, receiving a rank meant that a military man was ready for the appropriate service, and that he had certain knowledge and skills. The one who led the fleet received the rank of admiral general. The regiment commander was called a colonel, the one in charge of the battalion was called a major, and the one in charge of a company was called a captain. The lieutenant was his assistant (this is the rank corresponding to the modern lieutenant). The commander-in-chief was a field marshal general, his assistant was called a lieutenant general.
Titles and positions
Over time, the title began to be separated from the position. This process was long and complex. Only in the middle of the 19th century did insignia appear: epaulettes, shoulder straps and stars on them.
Gradually, ranks began to be received for length of service, solving complex combat missions and other merits. The commander who commanded large formations received the rank of major general. And the lieutenant general was only one step lower than the “full general.” Therefore, the question did not arise who was more important - the major general or the lieutenant general.
In order to know exactly how, according to the regulations, you are supposed to address a military personnel, you need to understand the ranks. Ranks in the Russian Army and shoulder straps provide clarity in relationships and allow you to understand the chain of command. In the Russian Federation there is both a horizontal structure - military and naval ranks, and a vertical hierarchy - from the rank and file to the highest officers.
Rank and file
Private is the lowest military rank in the Russian Army. Moreover, the soldiers received this title in 1946, before that they were addressed exclusively as fighters or Red Army soldiers.
If the service is carried out in a guards military unit or on a guards ship, then when addressing a private, it is worth adding the same word "guard". If you want to contact a military personnel who is in the reserve and has a diploma of higher legal or medical education, then you should contact - "Private Justice", or "private medical service". Accordingly, it is worth adding the appropriate words to someone who is in reserve or retired.
In a ship, the rank of private corresponds to sailor.
Only senior soldiers who perform the best military service are given the rank Corporal. Such soldiers can act as commanders during the latter's absence.
All additional words that were applicable for a private remain relevant for a corporal. Only in the Navy, this rank corresponds to Senior sailor.
The one who commands a squad or combat vehicle receives the rank Lance Sergeant. In some cases, this rank is assigned to the most disciplined corporals upon transfer to the reserve, if such a staff unit was not provided for during service. In the ship's composition it is "sergeant major of the second article"
Since November 1940, the Soviet army received a rank for junior command personnel - sergeant. It is awarded to cadets who have successfully completed the sergeant training program and graduated with honors.
A private can also receive the rank - Lance Sergeant, who has proven himself worthy to be awarded the next rank, or upon transfer to the reserve.
In the Navy, a sergeant of the ground forces corresponds to the rank foreman.
Next comes the Senior Sergeant, and in the Navy - chief petty officer.
After this rank, there is some overlap between land and sea forces. Because after senior sergeant, in the ranks of the Russian army appears Sergeant Major. This title came into use in 1935. Only the best military personnel who served excellently in sergeant positions for six months deserve it, or upon transfer to the reserve, the rank of sergeant major is awarded to senior sergeants certified with excellent results. On the ship it is - chief petty officer.
Next come warrant officers And midshipmen. This is a special category of military personnel, close to junior officers. Complete the rank and file, senior warrant officer and midshipman.
Junior officers
A number of junior officer ranks in the Russian Army begin with the rank Ensign. This title is awarded to final year students and graduates of higher military educational institutions. However, in the event of a shortage of officers, a graduate of a civilian university can also receive the rank of junior lieutenant.
Lieutenant Only a junior lieutenant can become a junior lieutenant who has served a certain amount of time and received a positive educational certificate. Further - senior lieutenant.
And he closes the group of junior officers - Captain. This title sounds the same for both ground and naval forces.
By the way, the new field uniform from Yudashkin obliged our military personnel to duplicate the insignia on the chest. There is an opinion that the “runaways” from the leadership do not see the ranks on our officers’ shoulders and this is done for their convenience. Senior officers
Senior officers begin with rank Major. In the navy, this rank corresponds to Captain 3rd rank. The following Navy ranks will only increase the rank of captain, that is, the rank of land Lieutenant Colonel will correspond Captain 2nd rank, and the rank Colonel – Captain 1st rank.
Senior officers
And the highest officer corps completes the hierarchy of military ranks in the Russian army.
Major General or Rear Admiral(in the navy) - such a proud title is worn by military personnel who command a division - up to 10 thousand people.
Above the Major General is Lieutenant General. (The lieutenant general is higher than the major general because the lieutenant general has two stars on his shoulder straps and the major general has one).
Initially, in the Soviet army, it was more likely not a rank, but a position, because the Lieutenant General was an assistant to the general and took on part of his functions, in contrast to Colonel General, who can personally fill senior positions, both in the General Staff and in the Ministry of Defense. In addition, in the Russian armed forces, a Colonel General may be the deputy commander of a military district.
And finally, the most important serviceman who has the highest military rank in the Russian army is Army General. All previous links must obey him.
About military ranks in video format:
Well, new guy, have you figured it out now?)
Perhaps during your student years, a military training teacher told you about the various ranks that are used in our army, but it is unlikely that you absorbed this information with the same eagerness with which you laughed furiously in class, smoked in the school yard, or pulled your wrists. braids of girls from their class.
However, knowledge about this subject should be in every man’s head, so that he, without hesitation, understands who is a “real major” and who is “Warrant Officer Shmatko.”, military ranks in the Russian army.
Rank categories in the Russian Army
There are two main groups of ranks in the Russian troops:
- shipborne (refers to those who serve at sea);
- military (go to representatives of ground troops).
Ship ranks
- Navy (both under water and above water). The naval uniform has always suited men. No wonder girls like sailors so much!
- military naval units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It sounds unusual, but there are also police officers at sea.
- protection of the coastal (Border) service of the Russian FSB.
They do not chase unscrupulous fishermen who caught a couple of buckets of crucian carp without permission. Their direct responsibility is the capture of illegal immigrants and other criminals on the country’s waterways.
Military ranks
It is not so easy to see sea captains in snow-white uniforms on the streets of cities, especially if there is no sea nearby. But this is no reason to be upset!
Titles are also given in:
- Armed forces.
- Ministry of Internal Affairs (servicemen from the category of “policemen” or district police officers).
- Ministry of Emergency Situations (dared souls saving people in trouble).
Vadim, an Emergency Situations Ministry worker from Khmelnitsky, says that many people imagine the Ministry of Emergency Situations workers as real rescue heroes who live all day long as if in a thriller. Unfortunately, this is not entirely true. The life of an EMERCOM nickname consists of daily visits to some priests in order to carry out explanatory work, otherwise they will inadvertently burn down the church and everyone who came there. Rescuers also remove cats from trees and teach old women how to light the stove so as not to die from carbon monoxide. But the Ministry of Emergency Situations employees still evaluate their work positively. This is facilitated by titles, uniforms and social benefits.
- foreign intelligence service (Yes, yes! Imagine - new Stirlitz!);
- and other military units of our country.
Ranks table
In order to make the description of ranks less boring, we decided to present information about them as a cheat sheet (military and ship ranks, located on the same line, are analogous):
| Type | Military | Korabelnoe |
| Non-officer | private, corporal, Lance Sergeant, sergeant, staff Sergeant, foreman, ensign, Senior Warrant Officer |
sailor, senior sailor, foreman of the second article, foreman of the first article, chief petty officer, chief ship's foreman, midshipman, senior midshipman |
| Junior officers | junior lieutenant, lieutenant, senior lieutenant, captain |
junior lieutenant, lieutenant, senior lieutenant, captain-lieutenant |
| Senior officers | major, lieutenant colonel, Colonel |
captain 1st rank, captain 2nd rank, captain 3rd rank |
| Senior officers | major general Lieutenant General, Colonel General, army General, Marshal of the Russian Federation |
rear admiral, vice admiral, admiral, fleet admiral |
Shoulder straps
- Soldiers and sailors. There are no insignia on the shoulder straps.
- Sergeants and petty officers. Badges are used as insignia. Warriors have long called them “snot.”
- Ensigns and midshipmen. Cross-stitched stars are used as insignia. The shoulder straps resemble those of an officer, but without stripes. Also, there may be edgings.
- Junior officers. There is a vertical clearance and metal sprockets (13 mm).
- Senior officers. Two stripes and large metal stars (20 mm).
- Senior officers. Large embroidered stars (22 mm), located vertically; no stripes.
- General of the Army, Admiral of the Fleet. A large star with a diameter of 40 mm, not metal, but embroidered.
- Marshal of the Russian Federation. One very large star (40 mm) is embroidered on the shoulder strap. Silver rays diverge in a circle - the shape of a pentagon is obtained. The pattern of the Russian coat of arms is also noticeable.
Of course, when reading the text, many have a hard time trying to imagine the appearance of the shoulder straps. Therefore, especially for them, there is a picture in which all of the above is clearly depicted.
Shoulder straps of non-officers
Officer's shoulder straps
- Marshal of the Russian Federation is the highest rank in the ground forces, but above him there is also a person who can give him orders (even command him to take a prone position). This person is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, who is also the President of the Russian Federation. What is noteworthy is that the title of Supreme Commander-in-Chief is classified as a position, not a military rank.
- Vladimir Putin, who currently holds this position, left the Federal Security Service as a colonel. Now, in his position, he issues commands to military personnel with ranks that he has never achieved in his entire career.
- Both naval and ground forces are subordinate to the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation. Therefore, admiral is the highest rank in the Navy hierarchy.
- Writing the names of ranks of the RF Armed Forces with a capital letter in order to show respect to experienced servants is a completely unnecessary matter. All ranks from private to admiral are written with a lowercase letter.
- The prefix “guard” adds special prestige to the way this or that title sounds. Not everyone is destined to receive it, but only those. who serves in the guards regiments.
- Servants who have retired from military affairs and calmly dig potatoes in their dachas do not lose their rank, but continue to wear it with the prefix “reserved” or “retired.”
Without holding back his laughter, a military pensioner from Kharkov, Alexander, says that the colonel, whether he is retired or in reserve, will instill fear in any traffic cop who stops him on the road for violating traffic rules. The guy will get off a hundred sweats while he pretends to reprimand the offender, and then he will completely let the colonel go without a fine. So, a title always helps in life.
- Army doctors are also given special ranks. For example, “major of medical service.” The situation is similar for lawyers - “captain of justice”.
Of course, it’s a long way from George Clooney from ER, but it still sounds decent!
- Having just taken this path and entered a university, young guys become cadets. For now, they can only dream of how they will receive their first title, and then one of the highest ones. There is another group of students. They are called listeners. These are those who have already received military rank.
- While the one-year military service is underway, you can at most become a sergeant. Not higher.
- Since 2012, the ranks of chief petty officer and chief sergeant have been abolished. Formally, they exist, but in reality, servicemen receive the following ranks, bypassing these ranks.
- We all know that a major is higher than a lieutenant, but for some reason this logic was not taken into account when ranking general ranks. A lieutenant general is higher in rank than a major general. This is the system in the Russian Armed Forces.
- To receive a new rank in the Russian troops, you need to have a certain length of service and personal achievements. Before assigning the next rank to a candidate, commanders judge the soldier’s moral character and combat and political training skills. The table below describes the length of service requirements required to move from one rank to another:
| Rank | Job title |
| Private | All those newly called up for service, all lower positions (gunner, driver, gun crew number, driver, sapper, reconnaissance officer, radio operator, etc.) |
| Corporal | There are no full-time corporal positions. The rank is given to soldiers in the lowest positions, with a high level of training. |
| Junior Sergeant, Sergeant | Squad, tank, gun commander |
| Staff Sergeant | Deputy Platoon Leader |
| Sergeant Major | Company Sergeant Major |
| Ensign, Art. ensign | Material support platoon commander, company sergeant major, warehouse chief, radio station chief and other non-commissioned positions that require a high level of training. Sometimes they work in lower officer positions when there is a shortage of officers |
| Ensign | Platoon commander. This rank is usually awarded when there is an acute shortage of officers after completing accelerated officer training courses. |
| Lieutenant, Art. lieutenant | Platoon commander, deputy company commander. |
| Captain | Company commander, training platoon commander |
| Major | Deputy battalion commander. Training company commander |
| Lieutenant colonel | Battalion commander, deputy regiment commander |
| Colonel | Regiment commander, deputy brigade commander, brigade commander, deputy division commander |
| Major General | Division commander, deputy corps commander |
| Lieutenant General | Corps commander, deputy army commander |
| Colonel General | Army Commander, Deputy District (Front) Commander |
| Army General | District (front) commander, Deputy Minister of Defense, Minister of Defense, Chief of the General Staff, other senior positions |
| Marshal of the Russian Federation | Honorary title given for special merits |