Indian Armed Forces
Military Manpower
Active troops 1,440,000 (2nd) Reserve forces 2,096,000 (5th) Paramilitary forces and CAPF 1,585,950 (6th)
Components
Indian Army  Indian Navy  Indian Air Force  Indian Coast Guard Border Roads Organisation Paramilitary forces of India Central Armed Police Forces Strategic Nuclear Command
History
Military history of India
Ranks and insignia
Army • Navy • Air Force • Coast Guard • BRO • Paramilitary forces and CAPF
v t e

The Indian Air Force's rank structure is based on that of the Royal Air Force. The highest rank attainable in the Indian Air Force is Marshal of the Indian Air Force, conferred by the President of India after exceptional service during wartime. MIAF Arjan Singh was the only officer to have achieved this rank. The head of the Indian Air Force is the Chief of the Air Staff, who holds the rank of Air Chief Marshal. The current Chief of the Air Staff is Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, took office on 30 September 2021.

Officer ranks

The following table shows the officer rank insignia for the Indian Air Force.

Rank group	General/flag officers										Senior officers						Junior officers								Officer cadet
Service uniform
Indian Air Force[1] v t e
	Marshal of the Indian Air Force		Air chief marshal		Air marshal		Air vice marshal		Air commodore		Group captain		Wing commander		Squadron leader		Flight lieutenant		Flying officer						Flight cadet
	Ceremonial/ War time rank		Held by the Chief of Defence Staff and/or the Chief of the Air Staff

The IAF rank of pilot officer is a rank in abeyance in the Air Force and is no longer in force, all officers begin as flying officers upon commissioning.

Junior commissioned officer and non-commissioned ranks

Rank group	Junior commissioned officers										Non commissioned officer																								Enlisted
Indian Air Force[2] v t e																																			No insignia
	Master warrant officer						Warrant officer		Junior warrant officer		Sergeant												Corporal						Leading aircraftsman						Aircraftsman

Former ranks and rank insignia

The rank of Pilot Officer is no longer in use; all new officers are commissioned as Flying Officers. The old warrant officer ranks and the rank of flight sergeant were replaced in 1977 by the new warrant officer ranks.^[3]

Ranks of the Indian Air Force no longer in use

	Officers		Non-commissioned officers
Shoulder Insignia		Arm
Rank	Pilot officer		Warrant officer	Junior warrant officer	Flight sergeant