Military ranks shape every chain of command, and Defense News Today often unpacks what those structures mean in practice. Military ranks clarify who leads, who follows, and who carries real responsibility in peace, crisis, and war. Enlisted troops handle hands-on tasks, while non-commissioned officers mentor people, keep discipline, and turn plans into action. Warrant officers bring deep technical expertise, keeping complex vehicles, weapons, aircraft, and ships running under pressure. Commissioned officers plan operations, command units, manage risk, and speak with the state’s legal authority. Across services, Defense News Today shows how clear military ranks support coordinated decisions and effective action on real operations.
| NATO Code | Rank Category | Western Army / Land | Western Air Force | Western Navy / Sea | Eastern Bloc Army | Eastern Bloc Air | Eastern Bloc Navy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OR-1 | Enlisted / NCO | Private (Recruit) | Airman Basic | Seaman Recruit | Ryadovoy (Private) | Ryadovoy (Private) | Matros (Seaman) |
| OR-2 | Enlisted / NCO | Private | Airman | Seaman Apprentice | Yefreytor (Lance Corporal) | Yefreytor (Lance Corporal) | Starshy Matros (Senior Seaman) |
| OR-3 | Enlisted / NCO | Private First Class / Corporal | Airman 1st Class / Senior Airman | Seaman | Mladshiy Serzhant (Junior Sergeant) | Mladshiy Serzhant (Junior Sergeant) | Starshina 2-go St. (Petty Officer 3rd) |
| OR-4 | Enlisted / NCO | Corporal / Sergeant | Sergeant | Petty Officer 3rd Class | Serzhant (Sergeant) | Serzhant (Sergeant) | Starshina 1-go St. (Petty Officer 2nd) |
| OR-5 | Enlisted / NCO | Staff Sergeant | Staff / Technical Sergeant | Petty Officer 2nd Class | Starshiy Serzhant (Senior Sergeant) | Starshiy Serzhant (Senior Sergeant) | Glavny Starshina (Petty Officer 1st) |
| OR-6 | Enlisted / NCO | Sergeant First Class | Master Sergeant | Petty Officer 1st Class | Starshina (Company Sergeant Major) | Starshina (Company Sergeant Major) | Glavny Korabelny Starshina (Chief Petty Officer) |
| OR-7 | Enlisted / NCO | First Sergeant / Master Sergeant | Senior Master Sergeant | Chief Petty Officer | (high NCO) Starshina / Junior Praporshchik | (high NCO) Starshina / Junior Praporshchik | Starshina / Junior Michman |
| OR-8 | Enlisted / NCO | Sergeant Major | Chief Master Sergeant | Senior Chief Petty Officer | Praporshchik (Warrant class, used as NCO) | Praporshchik (Warrant class, used as NCO) | Michman (Warrant / senior NCO) |
| OR-9 | Enlisted / NCO | Command Sergeant Major | Command Chief Master Sergeant | Master Chief Petty Officer | Starshiy Praporshchik (Senior Warrant) | Starshiy Praporshchik (Senior Warrant) | Starshiy Michman (Senior Warrant) |
| W-1 | Warrant Officer | Warrant Officer 1 | Warrant Officer 1 | Warrant Officer 1 | Praporshchik | Praporshchik | Michman |
| W-2 | Warrant Officer | Chief Warrant Officer 2 | Chief Warrant Officer 2 | Chief Warrant Officer 2 | Starshiy Praporshchik | Starshiy Praporshchik | Starshiy Michman |
| W-3 | Warrant Officer | Chief Warrant Officer 3 | Chief Warrant Officer 3 | Chief Warrant Officer 3 | (not always used separately) | (not always used separately) | (not always used separately) |
| W-4 | Warrant Officer | Chief Warrant Officer 4 | Chief Warrant Officer 4 | Chief Warrant Officer 4 | — | — | — |
| W-5 | Warrant Officer | Chief Warrant Officer 5 | Chief Warrant Officer 5 | Chief Warrant Officer 5 | — | — | — |
| OF-1 | Officer | Second Lieutenant | Second Lieutenant | Ensign | Mladshiy Leytenant (Junior Lieutenant) | Mladshiy Leytenant (Junior Lieutenant) | Mladshiy Leytenant |
| OF-2 | Officer | First Lieutenant | First Lieutenant | Lieutenant (Junior Grade) | Leytenant (Lieutenant) | Leytenant (Lieutenant) | Leytenant |
| OF-3 | Officer | Captain | Captain | Lieutenant | Starshiy Leytenant (Senior Lieutenant) | Starshiy Leytenant (Senior Lieutenant) | Starshiy Leytenant / Kapitan-Leytenant |
| OF-4 | Officer | Major | Major | Lieutenant Commander | Kapitan (Captain) | Kapitan (Captain) | Kapitan-Leytenant / Kapitan 3-go Ranga |
| OF-5 | Officer | Lieutenant Colonel | Lieutenant Colonel | Commander | Mayor (Major) / Podpolkovnik (Lt Colonel) | Mayor (Major) / Podpolkovnik (Lt Colonel) | Kapitan 2-go Ranga |
| OF-6 | Officer | Colonel | Colonel | Captain (of ship) | Polkovnik (Colonel) | Polkovnik (Colonel) | Kapitan 1-go Ranga |
| OF-7 | Officer | Brigadier General | Brigadier General | Rear Admiral (Lower Half) | General-Mayor (Major General) | General-Mayor (Major General) | Kontr-Admiral (Rear Admiral) |
| OF-8 | Officer | Major General | Major General | Rear Admiral (Upper Half) | General-Leytenant (Lieutenant General) | General-Leytenant (Lieutenant General) | Vitse-Admiral (Vice Admiral) |
| OF-9 | Officer | Lieutenant General | Lieutenant General | Vice Admiral | General-Polkovnik (Colonel General) | General-Polkovnik (Colonel General) | Admiral |
| OF-10 | Officer | General | General | Admiral | General Armii (Army General) / Marshal | General Armii (Army General) / Marshal | Admiral Flota (Fleet Admiral) |
| Special | Officer (5-star / Marshal) | General of the Army (5-star) | General of the Air Force (5-star) | Fleet Admiral (5-star) | Marshal Sovetskogo Soyuza / Marshal RF | Marshal Sovetskogo Soyuza / Marshal RF | — |
