Military ranks of Portugal

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

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

Commissioned officer ranks

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
 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

Student officer ranks

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
Aspirante Aspirante Cadete aluno do 4° ano Cadete aluno do 3° ano Cadete aluno do 2° ano Cadete aluno do 1° ano
 Portuguese Air Force
Aspirante-a-Oficial Cadete aluno do 4° ano Cadete aluno do 3° ano Cadete aluno do 2° ano Cadete aluno do 1° ano
Portugal National Republican Guard[9]
Aspirante

Other ranks

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

NATO code 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
Portugal 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 code OR-9 OR-8 OR-7 OR-6 OR-5 OR-4 OR-3 OR-2 OR-1

Historical ranks

Commissioned officer ranks

Rank group General / flag officers Senior officers Junior officers
 Portuguese Army
(c. 1914)[11][better source needed]
Marechal[c] General[d] Coronel[e] Tenente-coronel Major Capitão Tenente Alferes
 Portuguese Navy
(c. 1914)[11]
Almirante[c] Vice-almirante Contra-almirante Capitão de mar e guerra Capitão de fragata Capitão-tenente Primeiro-tenente Segundo-tenente Guarda-marinha

Other ranks

NATO code OR-9 OR-8 OR-7 OR-6 OR-5 OR-4 OR-3 OR-2 OR-1
 Portuguese Army
(c. 1988)[12]
Sargento-mor Sargento-chefe Sargento-ajudante Primeiro-sargento Segundo-sargento Furriel Segundo-furriel Primeiro-cabo Segundo-cabo Soldado
 Portuguese Navy
(c. 1988)[13] 		No insignia No insignia
Sargento-mor Sargento-chefe Sargento-ajudante Primeiro-sargento Segundo-sargento Subsargento Cabo Marinheiro Primeiro-grumete Segundo-grumete
 Portuguese Air Force
(c. 1988)[14]
Sargento-mor Sargento-chefe Sargento-ajudante Primeiro-sargento Segundo-sargento Furriel Segundo-furriel Primeiro-cabo Segundo-cabo Soldado
NATO code OR-9 OR-8 OR-7 OR-6 OR-5 OR-4 OR-3 OR-2 OR-1

Lusophone comparative tables

Notes

  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.
  3. ^ a b Almirante and Marechal were only honorary ranks, not held by anyone during World War I.
  4. ^ The Portuguese Army had the particularity of having only a single rank of General Officer. A Portuguese General could be assigned to command from a division to the entire Army.
  5. ^ The brigade's organization was British Army model, so the brigade commander was this rank.

References

  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). Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  8. ^ a b "Postos e Distintivos". emfa.pt (in Portuguese). Portuguese Air Force. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2021.
  9. ^ a b c "Distintivos". gnr.pt (in Portuguese). Republican National Guard. Archived from the original on 2 November 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  10. ^ Ministry of National Defence 2011, pp. 3846, 3880–3881.
  11. ^ a b Over the Front. "Portuguese Ranks". Over the Front. Retrieved 1 July 2018.
  12. ^ Davis 1988, pp. 130–131.
  13. ^ Davis 1988, pp. 132–133.
  14. ^ Davis 1988, pp. 134–135.

Works cited

  • "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.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_ranks_of_Portugal