His Majesty's Naval Service of theBritish Armed Forces
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History and future
before 1707 / after 1707 / future History of the Royal Marines Coloured squadrons Customs and traditions Flag officer command flags
Operations
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Equipment
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Personnel
The Admiralty Senior officers Uniforms Officer / ratings rank insignia
Auxiliary services
Royal Fleet Auxiliary Marine Services
v t e

This is a list ofRoyal Navy ratings rank insignia.^[1]

Rank insignia of the ratings of the Royal Navy^[2][3]

Rank group	Warrant officers		Senior ratings			Junior ratings
NATO code	OR-9	OR-8	OR-7	OR-6	OR-5	OR-4	OR-2
Arm insignia							No insignia
Shoulder insignia
Rank	Warrant officer 1	Warrant officer 2	Chief petty officer	Petty officer		Leading rating	Able rating
Abbreviation	WO1	WO2	CPO	PO		LH	AB

Rank insignia of the other ranks of the Royal Marines

Rank group	Warrant officers			Senior NCOs			Junior NCOs		Marines
NATO code	OR-9		OR-8	OR-7	OR-6	OR-5	OR-4	OR-3	OR-2
Insignia									No insignia
Rank	Warrant officer class 1		Warrant officer class 2	Colour sergeant	Sergeant		Corporal	Lance corporal	Marine
Abbreviation	WO1		WO2	CSgt	Sgt		Cpl	LCpl	Mne

NATO code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1
Royal Marines Band Service v t e
	Warrant officer class 1						Warrant officer class 2, Bandmaster		Drum major Bugle major	Colour sergeant bugler Band colour sergeant	Sergeant bugler Band sergeant												Corporal bugler Band corporal				Lance corporal bugler Band lance corporal								Musician

Ratings in the Royal Navy wear branch badges (colloquially known as trade badges or 'tiffs') on the right sleeve to indicate a specific job, whilst rate insignia is worn on the left sleeve. Branches in the Royal Navy are listed below. Branch sub-specialities are denoted with an abbreviation on the branch badge.^[4] Ratings in the Marine Engineering and Medical branches may obtain 'dolphins' (qualify for theRoyal Navy Submarine Service). Some personnel have an additional option to pass theAll Arms Commando Course and serve attached to theRoyal Marines.

Branch badges include stars and crowns indicating a rating's qualification within their branch. One star indicates they have passed the required exam in order to be eligible to be selected for the leading rates course in their respective branch. Two stars indicates they have completed the leading rates course and are now eligible to study for the petty officers (PO) professional qualifying exam (PQE). A crown indicates they have passed the relevant PQE and are eligible to be a petty officer.

The seaman and naval airman branches were:

Leading rates qualified as instructors in the following branches:

• Radar plot
• Torpedo anti-Submarine
• Gunnery
• Physical training
• Tactical communication
• Radio communication

The instructor rate began to disappear in 1972, when fleet chief petty officers (warrant officers) were introduced.

Other branches, including naval air mechanics, were:

• Basic device: junior or basic technical qualification
• Basic device with star above: technical qualification for able rate
• Basic device with star above and star below: technical qualification for leading rate^[a]
• Basic device with crown above: petty officer qualified for higher rate of pay
• Basic device with crown above: chief petty officer qualified for lower rate of pay
• Basic device with crown above star below: chief petty officer qualified for higher rate of pay

Before 1947, each branch developed its own device badges and the crowns and stars of one branch did not necessarily have the same meaning as another. In 1948 and 1951, reforms were implemented to bring the branches into line with each other. A star above the badge normally indicates a person of superior qualifications, and another star below denotes that the person has passed for (and is performing) specific duties; e.g. gunnery, captain of turret, torpedo, torpedo-boat coxswain or signals. The crown is the emblem of authority, and is common in most petty officer, CPO, instructor and police badges.

Warrant officers and above do not wear branch badges. Until the late 1990s, artificer apprentices and leading artificers wore the same uniform as petty officers (with a red beret or cap badge, similar to a petty officer's). Apprentices were the last junior ratings not to be dressed as seamen; they did not wear "square rig".

In 1879 chief petty officers received afore-and-aft uniform similar to that of the officers, with a cap badge of an anchor within a cord surmounted by a crown. In 1890, they ceased to wear an arm badge. In 1913, the rank of petty officer 2nd class was abolished but the other badges remained the same.

In 1920, petty officers with four years' standing also received the fore-and-aft rig with the cap badge formerly worn by CPOs. The CPOs added a wreath to their cap badge, making it similar to the earlier arm badge.

In 1970 a new rank offleet chief petty officer was introduced, with insignia of the royal coat of arms on the lower arm (identical to a warrant officer class 1 in the British Army and the RAF, to which the new rank was equivalent). This rank was renamedwarrant officer, and then warrant officer class 1.

In 2004 the rank of warrant officer class 2 was formed from those CPOs holding the appointment ofcharge chief petty officer. The insignia is a crown within a wreath, also worn on the lower arm. The badges are now worn on the shoulders of 3A/B and 4A/B. The WO2 rank began to be phased out in April 2014 for most branches except submariner engineers, with no new appointments; existing holders of the rank retain it until they are promoted or leave the service.^[8] It now has been re-instated due to the Navy Command Transformation Programme.^[9]

Rank group	Warrant officers								Senior ratings														Junior ratings
(1827–1853)																													No insignia
											1st class petty officer						2nd class petty officer												Able rate						Ordinary rate	Boy
(1853–1890)																													Trade badge						No insignia
									Chief petty officer[b]		1st class petty officer[c]						2nd class petty officer[c]						Leading rate[c]						Able rate						Ordinary rate	Boy
(1890–1901)									No insignia																				Trade badge						No insignia
									Chief petty officer		1st class petty officer						2nd class petty officer						Leading rate						Able rate						Ordinary rate	Boy
(1901–1913)									No insignia																				Trade badge						No insignia
									Chief petty officer		1st class petty officer						2nd class petty officer						Leading rate						Able rate						Ordinary rate	Junior rate
(1913–1953)									No insignia																				Trade badge						No insignia
									Chief petty officer		Petty officer												Leading rate						Able rate						Ordinary rate	Junior rate
(1953–1970)																													Trade badge						No insignia
									Chief petty officer		Petty officer												Leading rate						Able rate						Ordinary rate	Junior rate
(1970–1985)																													Trade badge						No insignia
	Fleet chief petty officer								Chief petty officer		Petty officer												Leading rate						Able rate						Ordinary rate	Junior rate
(1985–1999)																													Trade badge						No insignia
	Warrant officer								Chief petty officer		Petty officer												Leading rate						Able rate						Ordinary rate	Junior rate
(1999–2004)
	Warrant officer								Chief petty officer		Petty officer												Leading rate						Able rate
(2004–2014)
	Warrant officer class 1						Warrant officer class 2		Chief petty officer		Petty officer												Leading rate						Able rate
(2014–2023)
	Warrant officer								Chief petty officer		Petty officer												Leading rate						Able rate
(2021–2023)
	Warrant officer class 1						Warrant officer class 2		Chief petty officer		Petty officer												Leading rate						Able rate
(2023–present)
	Warrant officer class 1						Warrant officer class 2		Chief petty officer		Petty officer												Leading rate						Able rate
NATO code	OR-9						OR-8		OR-7		OR-6						OR-5						OR-4				OR-3		OR-2						OR-1

• British Army other ranks rank insignia
• RAF other ranks
• Ranks and insignia of NATO navies enlisted
• Ranks of the cadet forces of the United Kingdom
• Royal Navy officer rank insignia
• Royal Marines Band Service uniform
• Uniforms of the Royal Marines

• Royal Navy BR 3(1) Part 8
• Royal Navy ranks, professions, trades and badges of rank in World War 2

• British military insignia
• Military ranks of the Royal Navy

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use dmy dates from April 2022