Air Marshal

This article is about the Royal Air Force rank. Air Marshal is also the term given to the 'air police' who travel undercover aboard commercial airliners.


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An air marshal's sleeve/shoulder insignia
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HRH The Prince of Wales in uniform as an RAF Air Marshal

Air Marshal is the second most senior rank active in the Royal Air Force today, after the inactivation of Marshal of the Royal Air Force as a substantive rank in peacetime during defence cuts of the 1990s. It ranks above Air Vice Marshal and immediately below Air Chief Marshal.

It has a NATO ranking code of OF-8. Equivalent to a Vice Admiral in the Royal Navy or a Lieutenant General in the British Army or the Royal Marines.

The rank insignia consists of two 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 tunic or on the shoulders of the flying suit or the casual uniform.

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An air marshal's command flag

The command flag for an Air Marshal is defined by the single broad red band running in the center of the flag, like on the command flag for a Group Captain (though the latter flag is triangular in shape). This flag represents the highest achievable grade in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, which uses the same command flag setup as the RAF.

See also

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Flag of the United Kingdom

British commissioned officer ranks

  Student Officer OF(D) OF-1 OF-2 OF-3 OF-4 OF-5 OF-6 OF-7 OF-8 OF-9 OF-10
Royal Navy: OCdt Mid SLt Lt Lt Cdr Cdr Capt Cdre RAdm VAdm Adm Admiral of the Fleet
Royal Marines: OCdt 2Lt -

Lt

Capt Maj Lt Col Col Brig Maj Gen Lt Gen Gen
Army: OCdt OD 2Lt -

Lt

Capt Maj Lt Col Col Brig Maj Gen Lt Gen Gen Field Marshal
Royal Air Force: OCdt OD PO -

FO

Flt Lt Sqn Ldr Wg Cdr Gp Capt ACdre AVM AM ACM MRAF

See also: Air Marshal, Admiral, Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy), Air Chief Marshal, Air Commodore, Air Marshal (civil aviation), Air Vice Marshal, Brigadier, British Army