Syrian Military Ranks 🇸🇾
Complete officer and enlisted rank insignia across 3 branches — 60 ranks in total — with NATO-code equivalents for cross-country comparison.
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.
Air Force
| Rank name | Insignia | NATO code | US Army equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| فريق | OF-10 | Marshal / General of the Army | |
| عماد أول | OF-9 | General | |
| عماد | OF-8 | Lieutenant General | |
| لواء | OF-7 | Major General | |
| عميد |
|
OF-6 | Brigadier General |
| عقيد |
|
OF-5 | Colonel |
| مقدم |
|
OF-4 | Lieutenant Colonel |
| رائد |
|
OF-3 | Major / Commandant |
| نقيب |
|
OF-2 | Captain / 1st Lieutenant |
| ملازم أول |
|
OF-1 | Lieutenant |
| ملازم |
|
OF-1 | Lieutenant |
| مساعد أول |
|
OR-9 | Sergeant Major |
| مساعد ثاني |
|
OR-8 | 1st Sergeant |
| مساعد |
|
OR-7 | Sergeant 1st Class |
| رقيب أول |
|
OR-6 | Staff Sergeant |
| رقيب ثاني |
|
OR-5 | Sergeant |
| رقيب |
|
OR-4 | Corporal |
| عريف |
|
OR-3 | Private 1st Class |
| جندي أول |
|
OR-2 | Private |
| جندي | OR-1 | Private |
Army
| Rank name | Insignia | NATO code | US Army equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| فريق | OF-10 | Marshal / General of the Army | |
| عماد أول | OF-9 | General | |
| عماد | OF-8 | Lieutenant General | |
| لواء |
|
OF-7 | Major General |
| عميد |
|
OF-6 | Brigadier General |
| عقيد |
|
OF-5 | Colonel |
| مقدم |
|
OF-4 | Lieutenant Colonel |
| رائد |
|
OF-3 | Major / Commandant |
| نقيب |
|
OF-2 | Captain / 1st Lieutenant |
| ملازم أول |
|
OF-1 | Lieutenant |
| ملازم |
|
OF-1 | Lieutenant |
| مساعد أول | OR-9 | Sergeant Major | |
| مساعد ثاني | OR-8 | 1st Sergeant | |
| مساعد | OR-7 | Sergeant 1st Class | |
| رقيب أول | OR-6 | Staff Sergeant | |
| رقيب ثاني | OR-5 | Sergeant | |
| رقيب | OR-4 | Corporal | |
| عريف | OR-3 | Private 1st Class | |
| جندي أول | OR-2 | Private | |
| جندي | OR-1 | Private |
Navy
| Rank name | Insignia | NATO code | US Army equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| فريق | OF-10 | Marshal / General of the Army | |
| عماد أول | OF-9 | General | |
| عماد | OF-8 | Lieutenant General | |
| لواء | OF-7 | Major General | |
| عميد |
|
OF-6 | Brigadier General |
| عقيد |
|
OF-5 | Colonel |
| مقدم |
|
OF-4 | Lieutenant Colonel |
| رائد |
|
OF-3 | Major / Commandant |
| نقيب |
|
OF-2 | Captain / 1st Lieutenant |
| ملازم أول |
|
OF-1 | Lieutenant |
| ملازم |
|
OF-1 | Lieutenant |
| مساعد أول | OR-9 | Sergeant Major | |
| مساعد ثاني | OR-8 | 1st Sergeant | |
| مساعد | OR-7 | Sergeant 1st Class | |
| رقيب أول | OR-6 | Staff Sergeant | |
| رقيب ثاني | OR-5 | Sergeant | |
| رقيب | OR-4 | Corporal | |
| عريف | OR-3 | Private 1st Class | |
| جندي أول | OR-2 | Private | |
| جندي | OR-1 | Private |