Military ranks of Portugal

Summary

The military ranks of Portugal form the system of hierarchical relationships in the Portuguese Armed Forces.

There are two basic systems of ranks. The first one is used in the Portuguese Army (Exército) and in the Portuguese Air Force (Força Aérea), consisting of traditional land military ranks. This system is also used in the National Republican Guard (GNR, Guarda Nacional Republicana), a gendarmerie force that can be put under the command of the Armed Forces in case of war. The second system is used by the Portuguese Navy (Marinha), consisting of traditional naval ranks.

In the Armed Forces of Portugal, the hierarchy of ranks divides them in three large categories: Officers (oficiais), Sergeants (sargentos) and Enlisted (praças). The officers category is, in turn, subdivided into three subcategories: General officers (oficiais generais), Senior officers (oficiais superiores) and Junior officers (oficiais subalternos).

The insignia of rank used in all branches of the Armed Forces is generally similar, despite some particular details existing in each branch.[1][2]

Commanders edit

Rank group Head of state Chief of the General Staff
  Portuguese Army[3]    
  Portuguese Navy[4]  
  Portuguese Air Force[5]    

Commissioned officer ranks edit

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

NATO code OF-10 OF-9 OF-8 OF-7 OF-6 OF-5 OF-4 OF-3 OF-2 OF-1 OF(D) Student officer
  Portuguese Army[6]
                       
Marechal do exército General Tenente-general Major-general Brigadeiro-general Coronel-tirocinado
[a]
Coronel Tenente-coronel Major Capitão Tenente Alferes


  Portuguese Navy[7]
                               
Almirante da Armada Almirante Vice-almirante Contra-almirante Comodoro Capitão de mar e guerra Capitão de fragata Capitão-tenente Primeiro-tenente Segundo-tenente Guarda-marinha/
Subtenente


  Portuguese Air Force[8]
                     
Marechal da força aérea General Tenente-general Major-general Brigadeiro-general Coronel Tenente-coronel Major Capitão Tenente Alferes


  National Republican Guard[9]
                 
Tenente-general
Comandante-general
Tenente-general Major-general Coronel Tenente-coronel Major Capitão Tenente Alferes


NATO code OF-10 OF-9 OF-8 OF-7 OF-6 OF-5 OF-4 OF-3 OF-2 OF-1 OF(D) Student officer

Student officer ranks edit

Rank group Student officer
  Portuguese Army[10]  [b]
             
Tenente aluno Alferes aluno Aspirante aluno Cadete aluno do 4° ano Cadete aluno do 3° ano Cadete aluno do 2° ano Cadete aluno do 1° ano
  Portuguese Navy              
Cadete aluno do 4° ano Cadete aluno do 3° ano Cadete aluno do 2° ano Cadete aluno do 1° ano
  Portuguese Air Force              
Cadete aluno do 4° ano Cadete aluno do 3° ano Cadete aluno do 2° ano Cadete aluno do 1° ano

Other ranks edit

The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

NATO rank scale OR-9 OR-8 OR-7 OR-6 OR-5 OR-4 OR-3 OR-2 OR-1
  Portuguese Army[6]
                       
Sargento-mor Sargento-chefe Sargento-ajudante Primeiro-sargento Segundo-sargento Furriel Segundo-furriel Cabo de secção Cabo-adjunto Primeiro-cabo Segundo-cabo Soldado


  Portuguese Navy[7]
                    No insignia No insignia
Sargento-mor Sargento-chefe Sargento-ajudante Primeiro-sargento Segundo-sargento Subsargento Cabo-mor Cabo Primeiro-marinheiro Segundo-marinheiro Primeiro-grumete Segundo-grumete


  Portuguese Air Force[8]
                       
Sargento-mor Sargento-chefe Sargento-ajudante Primeiro-sargento Segundo-sargento Furriel Segundo-furriel Cabo-de-secção Cabo-adjunto Primeiro-cabo Segundo-cabo Soldado


  National Republican Guard[9]
                       
Sargento-mor Sargento-chefe Sargento-ajudante Primeiro-sargento Segundo-sargento Furriel Cabo-mor Cabo-chefe Cabo-de-curso Cabo Guarda principal Guarda
NATO rank scale OR-9 OR-8 OR-7 OR-6 OR-5 OR-4 OR-3 OR-2 OR-1

Lusophone comparative tables edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Colonel who has completed the General Officer training course. Between 1929 and 1937, the Coronel-tirocinado was called Brigadeiro.
  2. ^ worn on the left sleeve, 15 cm from the shoulder.

References edit

  1. ^ Statute of the Military Personnel of the Armed Forces of Portugal
  2. ^ Statute of the Military Personnel of the National Republican Guard
  3. ^ Ministry of National Defence 2011, pp. 3847, 3884.
  4. ^ Ministry of National Defence 2022, pp. 20, 160.
  5. ^ Ministry of National Defence 1997, pp. 5546, 5617.
  6. ^ a b "POSTOS E DISTINTIVOS EXÉRCITO". antigo.mdn.gov.pt (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on 1 March 2010. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Os Postos". marinha.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Postos e Distintivos". emfa.pt (in Portuguese). Portuguese Air Force. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Distintivos". gnr.pt (in Portuguese). Republican National Guard. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  10. ^ Ministry of National Defence 2011, pp. 3846, 3880–3881.

External links edit

  • "Os Postos". marinha.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  • "Postos e Distintivos". emfa.pt (in Portuguese). Portuguese Air Force. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  • "Distintivos". gnr.pt (in Portuguese). Republican National Guard. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  • "Postos e Distintivos" (PDF). protocoloimagem.pt (in Portuguese). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
  • Ministry of National Defence (30 June 2011). "Portaria n.º 254/2011" (PDF). diariodarepublica.pt (in Portuguese). pp. 3844–3847, 3876–3885. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  • Ministry of National Defence (9 September 2022). "Portaria n.º 234/2022" (PDF). files.dre.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  • Ministry of National Defence (16 October 1997). "Portaria n.º 1054/97" (PDF). diariodarepublica.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 16 November 2023.