Ranks of the People's Liberation Army Air Force

The ranks in the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force are similar to those of the Chinese Army, formally known as the People's Liberation Army Ground Force, except that those of the PLA Air Force are prefixed by 空军 (Kong Jun) meaning Air Force. See Ranks of the People's Liberation Army or the article on an individual rank for details on the evolution of rank and insignia in the PLAAF. This article primarily covers the existing ranks and insignia.

Current ranks

Ranks of officers

The current system of officer ranks and insignia dates from 1988 and is a revision of the ranks and insignia used from 1955 to 1965. The rank of Kong Jun Yi Ji Shang Jiang (First Class General) was never held and was abolished in 1994.

Title	空军上将 Kōngjūn shang jiang	空军中将 Kōngjūn zhong jiang	空军少将 Kōngjūn shao jiang	空军大校 Kōngjūn da xiao	空军上校 Kōngjūn shang xiao	空军中校 Kōngjūn zhong xiao	空军少校 Kōngjūn shao xiao	空军上尉 Kōngjūn shang wei	空军中尉 Kōngjūn zhong wei	空军少尉 Kōngjūn shao wei	空军学员 Kōngjūn xue yuan
Equivalent translation	General	Lieutenant general	Major general	Senior colonel	Colonel	Lieutenant colonel	Major	Captain	First lieutenant	Second lieutenant	Officer cadet
Shoulder insignia
Collar insignia

Ranks of enlisted personnel

The current system of enlisted ranks and insignia dates from 2022.^[1]

Unlike NATO countries, new recruits of the People's Liberation Army have no military ranks before the boot camp is completed, and they will be awarded the rank of Private/Seaman Apprentice/Airman (All collectively called "Private" or "Lie Bing" in the Chinese language) after they have graduated from the boot camp.^[2] According to Article 16 of Chapter 3 of the "Regulations on the Service of Active Soldiers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army" (Chinese: 中国人民解放军现役士兵服役条例), "The lowest enlisted rank is Private".^[2]

Title	空军一级军士长 Kōngjūn yi ji jun shi zhang	空军二级军士长 Kōngjūn er ji jun shi zhang	空军三级军士长 Kōngjūn san ji jun shi zhang	一级上士 Kōngjūn yi ji shang shi	二级上士 Kōngjūn er ji junshi zhang	空军中士 Kōngjūn zhong shi	空军下士 Kōngjūn xia shi	空军上等兵 Kōngjūn shang deng bing	空军列兵 Kōngjūn lie bing
Equivalent translation	Master sergeant first class	Master sergeant second class	Master sergeant third class	Technical sergeant	Staff sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Airman first class	Airman
Shoulder insignia
Collar insignia

Civilian cadre badges

The current PLA Air Force 07-style uniform has special provisions for the epaulettes of non-combat troops, that is, civilian cadres, guards of honor, and military bands. Among them, the badge of the guard of honor shown in the figure was abolished in 2014.

Category	Civilian cadres								Guard of honor		Military band			Art Troupe
Epaulette	Civilian cadre Professional technical level 3 (deputy military post) or above						Civilian cadre Professional technical level 4 or less (regular post}							文工团
	Civilian cadre Professional technical level 3 (deputy military post) or above						Civilian cadre Professional technical level 4 or less (regular post)		Honor Guard		Military Band			Art Troupe

Historical rank insignia

Officer ranks

Rank group	General / flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers
PLA Air Force (1955–1965) v t e
			空军大将 Kōngjūn Dà jiàng	空军上将 Kōngjūn shàngjiàng	空军中将 Kōngjūn zhōngjiàng		空军少将 Kōngjūn shàojiàng				空军大校 Kōngjūn dàxiào	空军上校 Kōngjūn shàngxiào	空军中校 Kōngjūn zhōngxiào		空军少校 Kōngjūn shàoxiào		空军大尉 Kōngjūn dàwèi	空军上尉 Kōngjūn shàngwèi	空军中尉 Kōngjūn zhōngwèi			空军少尉 Kōngjūn shàowèi			空军准尉 Kōngjūn zhǔnwèi
No ranks (1965–1985)
No ranks (1985–1988)
PLA Air Force (1988–1994) v t e			空军大将	空军上将	空军中校		空军少校				空军大校	空军上校	空军中校		空军少校		空军上尉		空军中尉			空军少尉			空军准尉
			空军一级上将 Kōngjūn yī jí shàng jiàng	空军上将 Kōngjūn shàngjiàng	空军中将 Kōngjūn zhōngjiàng		空军少将 Kōngjūn shàojiàng				空军大校 Kōngjūn dàxiào	空军上校 Kōngjūn shàngxiào	空军中校 Kōngjūn zhōngxiào		空军少校 Kōngjūn shàoxiào		空军上尉 Kōngjūn shàngwèi		空军中尉 Kōngjūn zhōngwèi			空军少尉 Kōngjūn shàowèi			空军准尉 Kōngjūn zhǔnwèi

Enlisted and NCOs

Type 55

Rank category	Rank	Shoulder board insignia	Collar insignia
NCOs	Technical Sergeant	No shoulder insignia
	Staff Sergeant
	Senior Airman
Airmen	Airman First Class
	Airman

Type 65

• 
  No ranks

Type 85

• 
  No ranks

Type 88

Rank category	Rank	Shoulder board insignia
Senior NCOs	军士长 Chief Master Sergeant
	专业军士 Master Sergeant
NCOs	上士 Technical Sergeant
	中士 Staff Sergeant
	下士 Senior Airman
Airmen	上等兵 Airman First Class
	列兵 Airman

References

1. Clay, Marcus; Blasko, Dennis J.; Lee, Roderick Lee (12 August 2022). "People Win Wars: A 2022 Reality Check on PLA Enlisted Force and Related Matters". War on the Rocks. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
2. "中国人民解放军现役士兵服役条例(Regulations on the Service of Active Soldiers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army)" (in Chinese). Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China. March 2, 2016.

External links

• Military ranks of the People's Liberation Army Air Force

See also

• Republic of China Air Force rank insignia