Lieutenant (Royal Canadian Navy)
In the Royal Canadian Navy, the rank of lieutenant is the naval rank equal to captain in the army or air force. When the naval rank lieutenant is written or typed, it is followed by the letter N to indicate that it is a naval rank to distinguish it from army and air force lieutenants remains silent as it must not be pronounced or replaced by the word ). Lieutenants are senior to sub-lieutenants and to army and air force lieutenants, and are junior to lieutenant-commanders and majors.
Typical appointments for a lieutenant include:
- Combat director or head of department of a frigate, destroyer, or supply ship
- Training officer at naval fleet schools or Naval Reserve divisions
- Executive officer of a minor warship or submarine
- Staff officer on a formation or task group headquarters staff.
- Commanding officer of Royal Canadian Sea Cadet corps
Prior to unification of the Canadian Forces in 1968, rank structure and insignia followed the British pattern. As part of the Canadian Naval Centennial the executive curl pattern of naval officer's rank was returned to all uniforms.