Air Vice-Marshal

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Air Vice-Marshal (AVM) is an air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force.^[1] The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. Air Vice-Marshals may be addressed generically as "Air Marshal".

The equivalent rank in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF) (until 1968) and Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service (PMRAFNS) (until 1980) was Air Chief Commandant.

Contents 1 Seniority 2 Origins 3 Insignia, command flag and star plate 4 Other air forces 5 See also 6 References

[edit] Seniority

Air Vice-Marshal is equivalent to a 2 star rank and has a NATO ranking code of OF-7. It is equivalent to a Rear-Admiral in the Royal Navy or a Major-General in the British Army or the Royal Marines.

The rank of Air Vice-Marshal is immediately senior to the rank Air Commodore and immediately subordinate to the rank of Air Marshal.

[edit] Origins

On 1 April 1918, the newly created RAF adopted its officer rank titles from the British Army, with officers at what is now Air Vice-Marshal level holding the rank of Major-General. In response to the proposal that the RAF should use its own rank titles, it was suggested that the RAF might use the Royal Navy's officer ranks, with the word "Air" inserted before the naval rank title. For example, the rank that later became Air Vice-Marshal would have been Air Rear-Admiral. The Admiralty objected to any use of their rank titles, including this modified form, and so an alternative proposal was put forward: Air Officer ranks would be based on the term "Ardian", which was derived from a combination of the Gaelic words for "chief" (ard) and "bird" (eun), with the term "Third Ardian" or "Squadron Ardian" being used for the equivalent to Rear-Admiral and Major-General. However, Air Vice-Marshal was preferred and was adopted on 1 August 1919.

[edit] Insignia, command flag and star plate

The rank insignia consists of a narrow light blue band (on a slightly wider black band) over a light blue band on a broad black band. This is worn on the both the lower sleeves of the tunic or on the shoulders of the flying suit or the casual uniform.

The Command Flag of an Air Vice-Marshal has two narrow red bands running through the centre.

The vehicle star plate for an Air Vice-Marshal depicts two white stars (Air Vice-Marshal is equivalent to a two star rank) on an air force blue background.

An RAF Air Vice-Marshal's command flag

An RAF Air Vice-Marshal's star plate

A Royal Thai Air Force Air Vice-Marshal's rank insignia

An RAAF Air Vice-Marshal's rank insignia

[edit] Other air forces

The rank of Air Vice-Marshal is also used by a number of the air forces in the Commonwealth, including the Bangladesh Air Force, Ghana Air Force, Indian Air Force (IAF), Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF). It is also used in the Egyptian Air Force, Hellenic Air Force, Royal Air Force of Oman and the Royal Thai Air Force. In the Indonesian Air Force the equivalent rank is Marsekal Muda (literally "Rear Marshal") which is usually translated as Air Vice-Marshal in English.

The Royal Canadian Air Force used the rank until the 1968 unification of the Canadian Forces, when Army-type rank titles were adopted. Canadian Air Vice-Marshals then became Major-Generals. In official French Canadian usage, the rank title was vice-maréchal de l'air.

[edit] See also

• RAF officer ranks
• Ranks of the RAAF
• Air force officer rank insignia
• Comparative military ranks

[edit] References

v • d • e Commissioned Officer ranks of the British Armed Forces
	Student Officer	OF(D)	OF-1		OF-2	OF-3	OF-4	OF-5	OF-6	OF-7	OF-8	OF-9	OF-10
Royal Navy	O Cdt	Mid	SLt		Lt	Lt Cdr	Cdr	Capt	Cdre	RAdm	VAdm	Adm	Adm of the Fleet
Royal Marines			2Lt	Lt	Capt	Maj	Lt Col	Col	Brig	Maj-Gen	Lt Gen	Gen
Army	O Cdt		2Lt	Lt	Capt	Maj	Lt Col	Col	Brig	Maj-Gen	Lt Gen	Gen	FM
Royal Air Force	OC		APO / Plt Off	Fg Off	Flt Lt	Sqn Ldr	Wg Cdr	Gp Capt	Air Cdre	AVM	Air Mshl	Air Chf Mshl	MRAF