🇸🇾
Syria vs Russia Military Ranks
The Syrian Army has 20 ranks — 11 officer and 9 enlisted — from جندي up to فريق. Below: all 60 ranks across 3 branches (Army, Navy, Air Force), aligned tier by tier with their Russian equivalents.
Branches
3
Ranks documented
60
Active personnel
169K
Army
Rank Ladder
Highest first · 18 of 20 matched
| 🇸🇾 Syria · Army | NATO code |
Equivalent in
|
|---|---|---|
| Officers | ||
| فريق | OF-10 Marshal / General of the Army |
Ма́ршал Росси́йской Федера́ции / Márshal Rossíyskoy Federátsii
|
| عماد أول | OF-9 General |
Генера́л а́рмии / Generál ármii
|
| عماد | OF-8 Lieutenant General |
Генера́л-полко́вник / Generál-polkóvnik
|
لواء
|
OF-7 Major General |
Генера́л-лейтена́нт / Generál-leytenánt
|
عميد
|
OF-6 Brigadier General |
Генера́л-майо́р / Generál-mayór
|
عقيد
|
OF-5 Colonel |
Полко́вник / Polkóvnik
|
مقدم
|
OF-4 Lieutenant Colonel |
Подполко́вник / Podpolkóvnik
|
رائد
|
OF-3 Major / Commandant |
Майо́р / Mayór
|
نقيب
|
OF-2 Captain / 1st Lieutenant |
Kапита́н / Kapitán
|
ملازم أول
|
OF-1 Lieutenant |
Ста́рший лейтена́нт / Stárshiy leytenánt
Лейтена́нт / Leytenánt
Mла́дший лейтена́нт / Mládshiy leytenánt
|
ملازم
|
OF-1 Lieutenant |
Ста́рший лейтена́нт / Stárshiy leytenánt
Лейтена́нт / Leytenánt
Mла́дший лейтена́нт / Mládshiy leytenánt
|
| Enlisted ranks | ||
| مساعد أول | OR-9 Sergeant Major |
Ста́рший пра́порщик / Stárshiy práporshchik
|
| مساعد ثاني | OR-8 1st Sergeant |
Пра́порщик / Práporshchik
Старшина́ / Starshiná
|
| مساعد | OR-7 Sergeant 1st Class |
Ста́рший сержа́нт / Stárshiy serzhánt
|
| رقيب أول | OR-6 Staff Sergeant |
Сержа́нт / Serzhánt
|
| رقيب ثاني | OR-5 Sergeant |
Мла́дший сержа́нт / Mládshiy serzhánt
|
| رقيب | OR-4 Corporal |
Ефре́йтор / Yefréytor
|
| عريف | OR-3 Private 1st Class | – |
| جندي أول | OR-2 Private | – |
| جندي | OR-1 Private |
Рядово́й / Ryadovóy
|
Navy
Rank Ladder
Highest first · 17 of 20 matched
| 🇸🇾 Syria · Navy | NATO code |
Equivalent in
|
|---|---|---|
| Officers | ||
| فريق | OF-10 Marshal / General of the Army | – |
| عماد أول | OF-9 General |
Адмирал флота / Admiral flota
|
| عماد | OF-8 Lieutenant General |
Адмирал / Admiral
|
| لواء | OF-7 Major General |
Вице-адмирал / Vitse-admiral
|
عميد
|
OF-6 Brigadier General |
Контр-адмирал / Contre-admiral
|
عقيد
|
OF-5 Colonel |
Капитан 1-го ранга / Kapitan 1-go ranga
|
مقدم
|
OF-4 Lieutenant Colonel |
Капитан 2-го ранга / Kapitan 2-go ranga
|
رائد
|
OF-3 Major / Commandant |
Капитан 3-го ранга / Kapitan 3-go ranga
|
نقيب
|
OF-2 Captain / 1st Lieutenant |
Капитан-лейтенант / Kapitan-leytenant
|
ملازم أول
|
OF-1 Lieutenant |
Старший лейтенант / Starshey leytenant
Лейтенант / Leytenant
Младший лейтенант / Mladshiy leytenant
|
ملازم
|
OF-1 Lieutenant |
Старший лейтенант / Starshey leytenant
Лейтенант / Leytenant
Младший лейтенант / Mladshiy leytenant
|
| Enlisted ranks | ||
| مساعد أول | OR-9 Sergeant Major |
Старший мичман / Starshy michman
|
| مساعد ثاني | OR-8 1st Sergeant |
Мичман / Michman
Главный корабельный старшина / Glavny korabelny starshina
|
| مساعد | OR-7 Sergeant 1st Class |
Главный старшина / Glavny starshina
|
| رقيب أول | OR-6 Staff Sergeant |
Старшина 1 статьи / Starshina 1 statji
|
| رقيب ثاني | OR-5 Sergeant |
Старшина 2 статьи / Starshina 2 statji
|
| رقيب | OR-4 Corporal |
Старший матрос / Starshy matros
|
| عريف | OR-3 Private 1st Class | – |
| جندي أول | OR-2 Private | – |
| جندي | OR-1 Private |
Матрос / Matros
|
Air Force
Rank Ladder
Highest first · 17 of 20 matched
| 🇸🇾 Syria · Air Force | NATO code |
Equivalent in
|
|---|---|---|
| Officers | ||
| فريق | OF-10 Marshal / General of the Army | – |
| عماد أول | OF-9 General |
Генера́л а́рмии / Generál ármii
|
| عماد | OF-8 Lieutenant General |
Генера́л-полко́вник / Generál-polkóvnik
|
| لواء | OF-7 Major General |
Генера́л-лейтена́нт / Generál-leytenánt
|
عميد
|
OF-6 Brigadier General |
Генера́л-майо́р / Generál-mayór
|
عقيد
|
OF-5 Colonel |
Полко́вник / Polkóvnik
|
مقدم
|
OF-4 Lieutenant Colonel |
Подполко́вник / Podpolkóvnik
|
رائد
|
OF-3 Major / Commandant |
Майо́р / Mayór
|
نقيب
|
OF-2 Captain / 1st Lieutenant |
Kапита́н / Kapitán
|
ملازم أول
|
OF-1 Lieutenant |
Ста́рший лейтена́нт / Stárshiy leytenánt
Лейтена́нт / Leytenánt
Mла́дший лейтена́нт / Mládshiy leytenánt
|
ملازم
|
OF-1 Lieutenant |
Ста́рший лейтена́нт / Stárshiy leytenánt
Лейтена́нт / Leytenánt
Mла́дший лейтена́нт / Mládshiy leytenánt
|
| Enlisted ranks | ||
مساعد أول
|
OR-9 Sergeant Major |
Ста́рший пра́порщик / Stárshiy práporshchik
|
مساعد ثاني
|
OR-8 1st Sergeant |
Пра́порщик / Práporshchik
Старшина́ / Starshiná
|
مساعد
|
OR-7 Sergeant 1st Class |
Ста́рший сержа́нт / Stárshiy serzhánt
|
رقيب أول
|
OR-6 Staff Sergeant |
Сержа́нт / Serzhánt
|
رقيب ثاني
|
OR-5 Sergeant |
Мла́дший сержа́нт / Mládshiy serzhánt
|
رقيب
|
OR-4 Corporal |
Ефре́йтор / Yefréytor
|
عريف
|
OR-3 Private 1st Class | – |
جندي أول
|
OR-2 Private | – |
| جندي | OR-1 Private |
Рядово́й / Ryadovóy
|
Overview
Syria's armed forces were dissolved and rebuilt following the fall of the Assad government in December 2024. The Ministry of Defence has reorganised the force around three branches:
- Syrian Army (الجيش السوري): Conducts land operations, including infantry, armoured and artillery formations. Rebuilt from 2025 around former opposition factions and returning personnel, replacing the Ba'athist-era Syrian Arab Army.
- Syrian Navy (البحرية السورية): Responsible for coastal defence along the Mediterranean. The pre-2024 fleet was effectively destroyed — at least six Osa II missile boats were sunk in Israeli strikes on Latakia on 9–10 December 2024 — and the branch has since operated without a publicly identified combatant fleet.
- Syrian Air Force (القوات الجوية السورية): Responsible for air defence and air operations, rebuilding after the loss of most of its inventory and infrastructure in strikes carried out during and after the December 2024 transition.
Note on the rank structure below: the ranks and Arabic titles are carried over largely unchanged from the Ba'athist era. Some officer insignia have been redesigned since 2025, and the versions shown here are reconstructed from press and official photographs dated 2025–2026. As of August 2026 the Syrian Ministry of Defence has not published an official confirmation of the current rank insignia, and the enlisted insignia in particular remain those of the previous structure.
Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) and other open sources.
Insignia image credits
- CC0, via Wikimedia Commons: لواء, عميد, عقيد, مقدم, رائد, نقيب, ملازم أول, ملازم, مساعد أول, مساعد ثاني, مساعد, رقيب أول, رقيب ثاني, رقيب, عريف, جندي أول
- Reki Fadhullah AKA Abu Khabr — CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons: عميد (Navy), عقيد (Navy), مقدم (Navy), رائد (Navy), نقيب (Navy), ملازم أول (Navy), ملازم (Navy), عميد (Air Force), عقيد (Air Force), مقدم (Air Force), رائد (Air Force), نقيب (Air Force), ملازم أول (Air Force), ملازم (Air Force)