Australian Defence Force ranks
The Australian Defence Force utilises ranks for the officers and non-commissioned personnel of its three service branches: the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army, and the Royal Australian Air Force. Each of the branches largely inherited the rank structure and rank insignia from their counterparts in the British Armed Forces.
The following tables show the "equivalent rank and classifications" for the three services, as defined in the ADF Pay and Conditions Manual. "Equivalent rank" means the corresponding rank set out under Regulation 8 of the Defence Force Regulations 1952.
Warrant Officer ranks
Note that the most senior Warrant Officer in each of the three services is appointed and promoted to either Warrant Officer of the Navy, Regimental [Sergeant Major of the Army (Australia)|Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army], or Warrant Officer of the Air Force, as appropriate. Although these are positional appointments, these three members hold the rank of Warrant Officer in their respective services and each wear special insignia, different from the rank insignia worn by other warrant officers.In 2023 the E10 position of Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the Defence Force was created. This position can be staffed by a member from any of the three services and is rotational.
The RAN and the RAAF have two warrant officer ranks, the army has three. The soldier appointed Regimental Sergeant Major of the Army holds the unique Army rank of Warrant Officer. The Army rank of WO2 is the equivalent of the RAN and the RAAF's most senior NCOs,. As Army WO2s hold a Warrant, while the RAN CPO and RAAF FSGT do not, WO2s are addressed as "Sir" or "Ma'am" by junior ranks, which extends to OCDTs and SCDTs.