Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking
air officer
An air officer is an air force officer of the rank of air commodore or higher. Such officers may be termed "officers of air rank". While the term originated in the Royal Air Force, air officers are also to be found in many Commonwealth nations ...
originating from the
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
. The rank is used by air forces of many
countries that have historical British influence. An air chief marshal is equivalent to an
Admiral
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
in a
navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
or a
full general
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED On ...
in an
army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
or other nations' air forces.
The rank of air chief marshal is immediately senior to the rank of
air marshal but subordinate to
marshal of the air force. Air chief marshals are sometimes generically considered to be air marshals.
Royal Air Force use and history
Origins
Prior to the adoption of RAF-specific rank titles in 1919, it was suggested that the RAF might use the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
's officer ranks, with the word "air" inserted before the naval rank title. For example, the rank that later became air chief marshal would have been air admiral. The
Admiralty
Admiralty most often refers to:
*Admiralty, Hong Kong
*Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964
*The rank of admiral
*Admiralty law
Admiralty can also refer to:
Buildings
* Admiralty, Traf ...
objected to any use of their rank titles, including this modified form, and so an alternative proposal was put forward:
air-officer ranks would be based on the term "ardian", which was derived from a combination of the
Gaelic
Gaelic is an adjective that means "pertaining to the Gaels". As a noun it refers to the group of languages spoken by the Gaels, or to any one of the languages individually. Gaelic languages are spoken in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Ca ...
words for "chief" (''ard'') and "bird" (''eun''), with the unmodified word "ardian" being used specifically for the equivalent to full admiral and general. However, air chief marshal was preferred and was adopted in August 1919. The rank was first used on 1 April 1922 with the promotion of
Sir Hugh Trenchard. With Trenchard's promotion to marshal of the RAF on 1 January 1927, no officer held the rank until Sir
John Salmond
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John Maitland Salmond, (17 July 1881 – 16 April 1968) was a British military officer who rose to high rank in the Royal Flying Corps and then the Royal Air Force. During the First World War he served as a sq ...
was promoted on 1 January 1929. It has been used continuously ever since.
In the RAF, the rank of air chief marshal is held by the serving
Chief of the Air Staff (currently Sir
Michael Wigston
Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Wigston, (born 25 February 1968) is the senior officer in the Royal Air Force, serving as Chief of the Air Staff since 26 July 2019. He previously served as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff from 2017 to 2018, and ...
). Additionally, RAF officers appointed to
four-star tri-service posts hold the rank of air chief marshal. Throughout the history of the RAF, 139 RAF officers have held the rank and it has also been awarded in an honorary capacity to senior members of the
British Royal Family and allied foreign monarchs.
Although no serving RAF officer has been promoted to marshal of the Royal Air Force since the British defence cuts of the 1990s, British air chief marshals are not the most senior officers in the RAF as several officers continue to retain the RAF's highest rank. Additionally,
Lord Stirrup was granted an honorary promotion to marshal of the Royal Air Force in 2014. The marshals are still to be found on the RAF's active list even though they have for all practical purposes retired.
RAF insignia, command flag and star plate
The rank insignia consists of three 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 lower sleeves of the service dress jacket or on the shoulders of the flying suit or working uniform. The command flag for an RAF air chief marshal is defined by the two broad red bands running through the centre of the flag. The vehicle star plate for an RAF air chief marshal depicts four white stars (air chief marshal is a four-star rank) on an air force blue background.
Australia
In the
Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
, this rank is only used when the
Chief of the Defence Force is an Air Force officer. When this is not the case, the senior ranking Air Force officer is the
Chief of Air Force, holding the rank of
air marshal.
With the establishment of the Australian Air Board on 9 November 1920, Australian Air Corps officers dropped their army ranks in favour of those based on the Royal Air Force. However, it was not until 1965 when
Sir Frederick Scherger became Chairman of the Australian Chiefs of Staff Committee, and was promoted to air chief marshal that an RAAF officer attained the rank. Throughout the history of the RAAF, only four of its officers have held the rank. Apart from Scherger, they are
Sir Neville McNamara (promoted 1982),
Sir Angus Houston (promoted 2005) and
Mark Binskin
Air Chief Marshal Mark Donald Binskin, (born 20 March 1960) is a former senior officer in the Royal Australian Air Force. He served as Chief of Air Force (2008–11), Vice Chief of the Defence Force (2011–14), and Chief of the Defence Force ...
(promoted 2014). McNamara, Houston and Binskin are former Australian Defence Force chiefs; as of July 2018, General
Angus Campbell is the current chief of the Australian Defence Force.
Bangladesh
In 2016 the Bangladeshi
Chief of Air Staff position was upgraded from air marshal to air chief marshal rank.
Canada
Throughout the 20th century history of the
Royal Canadian Air Force
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...
, only two officers held the rank of air chief marshal. They were:
Lloyd Samuel Breadner
Air Chief MarshalThis rank was used by the 20th century Royal Canadian Air Force and replaced with the rank of General in 1968 with the unification of the Canadian Forces, a rank which has been retained in the 21st century Royal Canadian Air For ...
(promoted 1945) and
Frank Robert Miller (promoted 1961). The rank existed on paper until the 1968 unification of the
Canadian Forces
}
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force.
...
, when Army-type rank titles were adopted and the rank of air chief marshal was replaced by that of full
general
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
. As no serving officers held the rank in 1968, no Canadian air chief marshals were regraded to general and Miller, the then only living retired air chief marshal, retained his rank. When Miller died in 1997 the Canadian rank of air chief marshal effectively passed into history. The 21st century re-creation of the Royal Canadian Air Force has not seen the rank revived and as of 2014 there are no plans for such a change. Army-style rank titles continue to be used although a return to the former insignia has been enacted. In official French Canadian usage, the rank title was ''maréchal en chef de l'air''.
India
In the
Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...
, the
Chief of Air Staff (CAS) (currently ACM
Vivek Ram Chaudhari
Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, is an air officer of the Indian Air Force. He currently serves as the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS). He took over as the 27th CAS succeeding Air Chief Marshal Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria on 30 September 2 ...
) holds the rank of Air Chief Marshal. The position of the CAS was upgraded from
Air Marshal to Air Chief Marshal in 1966. The first IAF officer to hold this rank was Air Chief Marshal
Arjan Singh
Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh, DFC (15 April 1919 – 16 September 2017) was a senior air officer of the Indian Air Force. He served as the 3rd Chief of the Air Staff from 1964 to 1969, leading the Air Force through the Indo-Pak ...
(later promoted to the
five-star rank
A five-star rank is the highest military rank in many countries.Oxford English Dictionary (OED), 2nd Edition, 1989. "five" ... "five-star adj., ... (b) U.S., applied to a general or admiral whose badge of rank includes five stars;" The rank is t ...
of
marshal of the Indian Air Force
Marshal of the Air Force is a five star Air Officer rank and the highest attainable rank in the Indian Air Force. Marshal of the Air Force is ranked immediately above Air Chief Marshal. It is a ceremonial or wartime rank, having been awarded onl ...
) who was promoted to the rank in 1966 while he served as the CAS. Post 1966, all the Indian air chiefs have held the rank. As of 2014, 19 Indian chiefs of the air staff have held the rank. In the Indian Air Force the honorary promotion of Arjan Singh to
marshal of the Indian Air Force
Marshal of the Air Force is a five star Air Officer rank and the highest attainable rank in the Indian Air Force. Marshal of the Air Force is ranked immediately above Air Chief Marshal. It is a ceremonial or wartime rank, having been awarded onl ...
in 2002 resulted in Indian air chief marshals no longer being the most senior IAF officers until Singh's death in 2017.
Namibia
In the
Namibian Air Force
The Namibian Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Namibian Defence Force. It was commissioned on 13 March 2005 at Grootfontein Air Force Base. Accessed 2007/07/27 Following the independence of Namibia from South Africa in 1990, the Air ...
, the rank is known as Chief air marshal.
Nigeria
The Nigerian air chief marshal is the second highest-ranking officer in the
Nigerian Air Force
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is the air branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is the youngest branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
It is one of the largest in Africa, consisting of about 15,000 personnel and aircraft including eight Chinese Che ...
, below
Marshal of the air force.
Only the
Chief of the Defence Staff holds
four-star rank
A four-star rank is the rank of any four-star officer described by the NATO OF-9 code. Four-star officers are often the most senior commanders in the armed services, having ranks such as (full) admiral, (full) general, colonel general, army gen ...
. The first Nigerian Air Force officer to attain the rank of air chief marshal was
Paul Dike
Paul Dike (born 1950) is a retired air chief marshal of the Nigerian Air Force, who was the Chief of the Air Staff from 2006 to 2008. In August 2008, he was appointed Chief of the Defence Staff. Prior to his appointment as Chief of the Air St ...
upon his appointment as the Nigerian Chief of Defence Staff in 2008. Dike was succeeded as Chief of the Defence Staff in 2010 by Air Chief Marshal
Oluseyi Petinrin
Oluseyi Petinrin (born 19 January 1955) is a retired air chief marshal in the Nigerian Air Force, who was Chief of the Defence Staff of Nigeria from 2010 to 2012. Prior to his appointment as Chief of Defence Staff, he had held the position of ...
. In 2014,
Alex Sabundu Badeh
Alex Sabundu Badeh (7 November 1957 – 18 December 2018) was an officer of the Nigerian Air Force who served as the 18th Chief of Air Staff and the 15th Chief of Defence Staff of Nigeria. He died from gunshot injuries sustained after his vehic ...
was appointed Chief of Defence Staff and promoted to air chief marshal. The Nigerian Chief of Air Staff is normally a three-star air marshal.
Pakistan
In March 1976, as part of a Pakistani Defence Ministry reorganization, the post of
Chief of Air Staff, the head of the Pakistan Air Force, was upgraded from air marshal to air chief marshal rank. To date all Pakistani air chief marshals have been members of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee
The Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC), ( ur, ); is an administrative body of senior high-ranking uniformed military leaders of the unified Pakistan Armed Forces who advises the civilian Government of Pakistan, National Security Council, ...
. However, only Air Chief Marshal
Farooq Feroze Khan
Air Chief Marshal Farooq Feroze Khan ( ur, ; born: 17 August 1939 – 9 October 2021), best known as Feroze Khan, was a Pakistani military officer who served as the 6th four-star air officer in the Pakistan Air Force and also served as the ...
has served as
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, the supreme commandant of Pakistan Armed Forces.
Originally, a Pakistani air chief marshal's rank insignia was essentially the same as the RAF insignia. In 2006 the Pakistan Air Force changed
the rank insignia for its officers,
abandoning the ring insignia in favor of a Turkish Air Force-style featuring four stars and a crossed swords and laurel device.
Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, only the
Chief of Defence Staff holds an active
four-star rank
A four-star rank is the rank of any four-star officer described by the NATO OF-9 code. Four-star officers are often the most senior commanders in the armed services, having ranks such as (full) admiral, (full) general, colonel general, army gen ...
. Retiring
Commanders of the Sri Lanka Air Force are promoted to the rank of air chief marshal as an outgoing honour. Air Chief Marshal
Donald Perera
Air Chief Marshal G Donald Perera VSV, USP is a Sri Lanka air officer who served as commander of the Air Force from 2002 to 2006 and Chief of the Defence Staff from 2006 to 2009. He served as Sri Lankan Ambassador to Israel.
Early life and ed ...
was the first CDS appointed from the Air Force and Air Chief Marshal
Roshan Goonetileke
Marshal of the Sri Lanka Air Force W. D. M. J. Roshan Goonetileke, RWP and bar, VSV, USP, PhD (Hon), FIM (SL), ndc, psc is a senior officer of the Sri Lanka Air Force. The current Governor of the Western Province, Goonetileke had served a ...
became the first serving Air Force Commander to be appointed to the rank of air chief marshal as part of the victory celebrations.
Gallery
File:British RAF OF-9.svg, (Royal Australian Air Force
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
)
File:British RAF OF-9.svg, (Bangladesh Air Force
The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) ( bn, বাংলাদেশ বিমান বাহিনী, Bangladesh Biman Bahini) is the aerial warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces. The Air Force is primarily responsible for air defence of B ...
)
File:British RAF OF-9.svg, (Indian Air Force
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its complement of personnel and aircraft assets ranks third amongst the air forces of the world. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial w ...
)
File:16-Namibia Air Force-ACM.svg, (Namibian Air Force
The Namibian Air Force is the aerial warfare branch of the Namibian Defence Force. It was commissioned on 13 March 2005 at Grootfontein Air Force Base. Accessed 2007/07/27 Following the independence of Namibia from South Africa in 1990, the Air ...
)
File:Nigeria-AirForce-OF-9.svg, (Nigerian Air Force
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) is the air branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is the youngest branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
It is one of the largest in Africa, consisting of about 15,000 personnel and aircraft including eight Chinese Che ...
)
File:Pak-air-force-OF-9.svg, (Pakistan Air Force
, "Be it deserts or seas; all lie under our wings" (traditional)
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = ...
)
File:British RAF OF-9.svg, (Sri Lanka Air Force
The Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) ( si, ශ්රි ලංකා ගුවන් හමුදාව, Śrī Laṃkā guwan hamudāva; ta, இலங்கை விமானப்படை, Ilaṅkai vimāṉappaṭai) is the air arm and the yo ...
)
File:British RAF OF-9.svg, (Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
)
File:Canadian_RCAF_Mess_Dress_Of-09.png, ( Air Force of Zimbabwe)
See also
*
Air force officer rank insignia
An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service.
Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...
*
British and U.S. military ranks compared
UK and US officer ranks compared
Not listed are U.S. warrant officers. A warrant officer is an officer who can and does command, carry out military justice actions and sits on both selection and promotion boards. A US warrant officer is a si ...
*
Comparative military ranks
This article is a list of various nations' armed forces ranking designations. Comparisons are made between the different systems used by nations to categorize the hierarchy of an armed force compared to another. Several of these lists mention '' ...
References
{{Highest Military Ranks
Military ranks of the Commonwealth
Military ranks of Australia
Former military ranks of Canada
Military ranks of the Royal Air Force
Military ranks of Sri Lanka
Air force ranks