The Indian Air Force ranks have three categories into which the ranks are divided. They are Commissioned Officers consisting of 11 ranks, Junior Commissioned Officers consisting of 3 ranks, and Non-Commissioned Officers consisting of 4 ranks.
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The Indian Air Force ranks have been classified under three distinctive types - Commissioned Officers, Junior Commissioned Officers, and Non-Commissioned Officers. There are 11 ranks under the category of Commissioned Officers, 3 ranks under the category of Junior Commissioned Officers, and 4 ranks under the category of Non-Commissioned Officers.
A number of deserving candidates opt for IAF recruitment for different positions depending on the eligibility of the candidates. Candidates must be clear about the distinction between the categories and ranks prior to applying for any post in the Indian Air Force.
Indian Air Force Ranks
The Indian Air Force ranks are categorised under three types. They are Commissioned Officers, Junior Commissioned Officers, and Non-Commissioned Officers. The description of each of the categories has been provided below.
Commissioned Officers
There are a total of 11 Indian Air Force ranks under the category of Commissioned Officers. The highest rank holder among the Air Force Officers is the Marshal of the Indian Air Force (MIAF). The head of the IAF is the Air Chief Marshal, who is the Chief of the Air Staff. The officers of this category, upon being commissioned, start as flying officers.
The Indian Air Force ranks of the 11 Commissioned Officers have been shared below:
1. Marshal of the Indian Air Force
This is an honorary and a 5-star rank. The Marshal of the Indian Air Force is appointed by the President of India during a war or to mark a ceremony. The corresponding rank for the Marshal of the Indian Air Force in the Indian Navy and Indian Army are ‘admiral of the fleet’ and Field Marshal respectively. The MIAF wears the uniform during the chief ceremonial occasions.
2. Air Chief Marshal
The Air Chief Marshal leads and supervises the Indian Air Force. An Air Chief Marshal is the principal advisor to the President and the Defence Ministry of India on matters pertaining to military forces and defence of the nation. The Air Marshal represents the Indian Air Force at the international forums and develops plans and strategies related to defence for the IAF.
3. Air Marshal
This is one of the Indian Air Force ranks that comes just below the Chief Air Marshal. This position also embodies leadership. The Air Marshal develops strategies for defence under the supervision of the Chief Air Marshal.
4. Air Vice Marshal
The Air Vice Marshal is a rank that comes just beneath the Air Marshal. The Air Vice Marshal in the IAF corresponds to the position of admiral in the Indian Navy. The areas of operation for the Air Vice Marshal include the wings, air bases, contingency plans and combat operations.
5. Air Commodore
The Air Commodore comes below the Air Vice Marshal and also commands a leadership position. The role of this rank-holder is to oversee a group, a command or a station within the defence organisation.
6. Group Captain
Coming just below the Air Commodore, the Group Captain commands a senior position within the IAF organisation. The Group Captain leads the flying squadron and the important operational areas within the organisation.
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7. Wing Commander
The Wing Commander is one of the senior Indian Air Force ranks and comes beneath the Group Captain in terms of position within the organisation. The operational area of a Wing Commander is the Wing. The Wing can be said to be a huge operational base that is constituted of a number of squadrons.
8. Squadron Leader
The Squadron Leader, as the name suggests, leads a Squadron within the IAF organisation. A squadron is an operational base dedicated to a specific function such as transport, reconnaissance, or combat operations. A Squadron Leader is responsible for the training of the personnels under a specific squadron.
9. Flight Lieutenant
The Flight Lieutenant is a junior position that comes beneath the Squadron Leader in the IAF. The flight commander is responsible for the development of plans and strategies for a specific mission and coordinating resources.
10. Flying Officer
The Flying Officer rank counts among the junior officers within the Commissioned Officers category in the IAF. The duties and responsibilities of a Flying Officer include the tasks allocated for a specific squadron by the squadron leader or other officers above the rank.
11. Flight Cadet
The Flight Cadet is the junior-most rank in the Commissioned Officers category in the IAF. The Flight Cadet undergoes training to perform basic operations in flight.
Find below the rank-wise insignia for the Commissioned Officers:
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Junior Commissioned Officers
This category of Junior Commissioned Officers in the Indian Air Force has 3 ranks - Master Warrant Officer, Warrant Officer, and Junior Warrant Officer.
1. Master Warrant Officer
This is the topmost rank under the Junior Commissioned Officers Category. The job role of Master Warrant Officer consists in offering technical support and guidance to the areas required. Their job role also consists in training the airmen as well as the personnel working under them.
2. Warrant Officer
This post comes just beneath the Master Warrant Officer. The job role of a Warrant Officer consists in holding the warrants from the service secretary. They have expertise in certain specified military tasks.
3. Junior Warrant Officer
This is the junior most post in the Junior Commissioned Officers category. There are a number of posts that fall under this rank, such as sailmakers, surgeon’s mates, clerks, school masters, armourers and many more.
Find below the rank-wise insignia for the Non-Commissioned Officers:
Non-Commissioned Officers
The Non-Commissioned Officers category in the Indian Air Force contains a total of four ranks under this category. They are:
1. Sergeant
A Sergeant is the topmost Non-Commissioned Officer. The job role of a Sergeant consists in guiding and supervising the airmen and developing strategies and plans concerning the allotted task.
2. Corporal
The task of a Corporal consists in working under the Sergeant and training and guiding the personnel under him/her.
3. Leading Aircraftman
This is the penultimate rank among the Non-Commissioned category of the Indian Air Force. A leading aircraftman is responsible for different kinds of clerical tasks.
4. Aircraftman
This is the most junior rank among the Non-Commissioned category in the Indian Air Force. The aircraftman works under the Leading Aircraftman.
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Indian Air Force: Rank-Wise Salary
The salary of the officers in the Indian Air Force have been shared in the table below:
| Indian Air Force Ranks | Salary (per month) |
| Air Marshal (Level 17) | INR 2,25,000 |
| HAG + Scale (Level 16) | INR 2,05,400 - INR 2,24,400 |
| Air Marshal HAG Scale (Level 15) | INR 1,82,200 - INR 2,24,100 |
| Air Vice-Marshal (Level 14) | INR 1,44,200 - INR 2,18,200 |
| Air Commodore (Level 13 A) | INR 1,39,600 - INR 2,17,600 |
| Group Captain (Level 13) | INR 1,30,600 - INR 2,15,900 |
| Wing Commander (Level 12 A) | INR 1,21,200 - INR 2,12,400 |
| Squadron Leader (Level 11) | INR 69,400 - INR 2,07,200 |
| Flight Lieutenant (Level 10 B) | INR 61,300 - INR 1,93,900 |
| Flying Officer (Level 10) | INR 56,100 - INR 1,77,500 |
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