🇾🇪
Yemeni Military Ranks
The Yemeni Army has 18 ranks — 11 officer and 7 enlisted — from جندي Jundiun up to مشیر Mushir. Below: all 47 ranks across 3 branches (Army, Navy, Air Force), with insignia and NATO-code equivalents.
Branches
3
Ranks documented
47
Active personnel
40K
Army
Rank Ladder
Highest first · 18 of 18 matched
| 🇾🇪 Yemen · Army | NATO code |
Equivalent in
|
|---|---|---|
| Officers | ||
مشیر Mushir
|
OF-10 Marshal / General of the Army |
General of the Army
|
فريق أول Fariq 'awal
|
OF-9 General |
General
|
فريق Fariq
|
OF-8 Lieutenant General |
Lieutenant general
|
لواء Liwa
|
OF-7 Major General |
Major general
|
عميد Amid
|
OF-6 Brigadier General |
Brigadier general
|
عقيد Aqid
|
OF-5 Colonel |
Colonel
|
مقدم Muqaddam
|
OF-4 Lieutenant Colonel |
Lieutenant colonel
|
رائد Ra'id
|
OF-3 Major / Commandant |
Major
|
نقيب Naqib
|
OF-2 Captain / 1st Lieutenant |
Captain
|
ملازم أول Mulazim awwal
|
OF-1 Lieutenant |
First lieutenant
Second lieutenant
|
ملازم ثان Mulazim than
|
OF-1 Lieutenant |
First lieutenant
Second lieutenant
|
| Enlisted ranks | ||
| مساعد أول Musaeid 'awal | OR-9 Sergeant Major |
Command sergeant major
Sergeant major
|
| مساعد ثان Musaeid than | OR-9 Sergeant Major |
Command sergeant major
Sergeant major
|
مساعد Musaeid
|
OR-9 Sergeant Major |
Command sergeant major
Sergeant major
|
رقيب أول Raqib 'awal
|
OR-7 Sergeant 1st Class |
Sergeant first class
|
رقيب Raqib
|
OR-6 Staff Sergeant |
Staff sergeant
|
عريف Earif
|
OR-4 Corporal |
Specialist
Corporal
|
جندي Jundiun
|
OR-3 Private 1st Class |
Private first class
|
Navy
Rank Ladder
Highest first · 12 of 12 matched
| 🇾🇪 Yemen · Navy | NATO code |
Equivalent in
|
|---|---|---|
| Officers | ||
عميد Amid
|
OF-6 Brigadier General |
Rear admiral (lower half)
|
عقيد Aqid
|
OF-5 Colonel |
Captain
|
مقدم Muqaddam
|
OF-4 Lieutenant Colonel |
Commander
|
رائد Ra'id
|
OF-3 Major / Commandant |
Lieutenant commander
|
نقيب Naqib
|
OF-2 Captain / 1st Lieutenant |
Lieutenant
|
ملازم أول Mulazim awwal
|
OF-1 Lieutenant |
Lieutenant (junior grade)
Ensign
|
ملازم ثان Mulazim than
|
OF-1 Lieutenant |
Lieutenant (junior grade)
Ensign
|
| Enlisted ranks | ||
Warrant officer
|
OR-8 1st Sergeant |
Command senior chief petty officer
Senior chief petty officer
|
Petty officer first class
|
OR-6 Staff Sergeant |
Petty officer first class
|
Petty officer second class
|
OR-5 Sergeant |
Petty officer second class
|
Petty officer third class
|
OR-4 Corporal |
Petty officer third class
|
Seaman
|
OR-1 Private | Seaman recruit |
Air Force
Rank Ladder
Highest first · 17 of 17 matched
| 🇾🇪 Yemen · Air Force | NATO code |
Equivalent in
|
|---|---|---|
| Officers | ||
مشیر Mushir
|
OF-10 Marshal / General of the Army |
General of the Air Force
|
فريق أول Fariq 'awal
|
OF-9 General |
General
|
فريق Fariq
|
OF-8 Lieutenant General |
Lieutenant general
|
لواء Liwa
|
OF-7 Major General |
Major general
|
عميد Amid
|
OF-6 Brigadier General |
Brigadier general
|
عقيد Aqid
|
OF-5 Colonel |
Colonel
|
مقدم Muqaddam
|
OF-4 Lieutenant Colonel |
Lieutenant colonel
|
رائد Ra'id
|
OF-3 Major / Commandant |
Major
|
نقيب Naqib
|
OF-2 Captain / 1st Lieutenant |
Captain
|
ملازم أول Mulazim awwal
|
OF-1 Lieutenant |
First lieutenant
Second lieutenant
|
ملازم ثان Mulazim than
|
OF-1 Lieutenant |
First lieutenant
Second lieutenant
|
| Enlisted ranks | ||
Warrant officer
|
OR-8 1st Sergeant |
First sergeant
Senior master sergeant
|
Flight sergeant
|
OR-7 Sergeant 1st Class |
First sergeant
Master sergeant
|
Sergeant
|
OR-5 Sergeant |
Staff sergeant
|
Senior Airman
|
OR-4 Corporal |
Senior airman
|
Airman First Class
|
OR-3 Private 1st Class |
Airman first class
|
| Airman جندي | OR-1 Private | Airman basic |
Overview
- Yemeni Land Forces (Al-Qūwāt al-Barriyyah / القوات البرية): Conducts land combat operations, armor maneuver, and territorial defense across seven designated military regions. Command is divided between forces aligned with the internationally recognized Presidential Leadership Council and Houthi authorities. Subordinate units include mechanized infantry, armored, mountain warfare, and artillery brigades.
- Yemeni Navy and Coastal Defense Forces (Al-Qūwāt al-Baḥriyyah wa-al-Difāʿ al-Sāḥilī / القوات البحرية والدفاع الساحلي): Manages maritime security, coastal artillery defense, and marine infantry operations along the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Bab el-Mandeb strait. Main operational bases are situated in Aden, Hodeidah, and Mukalla. Fleet inventory consists of patrol craft, coastal anti-ship missile batteries, and light auxiliary vessels.
- Yemeni Air Force and Air Defense (Al-Qūwāt al-Jawwiyyah wa-al-Difāʿ al-Jawwī / القوات الجوية والدفاع الجوي): Operates fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and ground-based air defense systems for transport, reconnaissance, and airspace interception. Controls major airfields including Al-Anad, Sanaa, and Seiyun. Operational command and asset inventories remain split across competing political and military factions.
- Border Guard Forces (Ḥaras al-Ḥudūd / حرس الحدود): Secures land frontiers with Saudi Arabia and Oman against illicit trafficking, smuggling, and unauthorized crossings. Deploys fixed border outposts, motorized patrols, and tactical uncrewed aerial systems. Subordinate formations integrate specialized commando and frontline reconnaissance detachments.
- Strategic Reserve Forces (Al-Iḥṭiyāṭ al-Istrātījī / الاحتياط الاستراتيجي): Directs long-range ballistic missile units, heavy artillery formations, and specialized presidential guard units. Conducts standoff strike operations, missile defense tactics, and strategic strike mission sets. Command structures report directly to executive military leadership.
Yemen Military
Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) and other open sources.
Insignia image credits
- MrInfo2012 — CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons: عميد Amid (Navy), عقيد Aqid (Navy), مقدم Muqaddam (Navy), رائد Ra'id (Navy), نقيب Naqib (Navy), ملازم أول Mulazim awwal (Navy), ملازم ثان Mulazim than (Navy), Warrant officer (Navy), Petty officer first class, Petty officer second class, Petty officer third class, Seaman, مشیر Mushir, فريق أول Fariq 'awal, فريق Fariq, لواء Liwa, عميد Amid (Air Force), عقيد Aqid (Air Force), مقدم Muqaddam (Air Force), رائد Ra'id (Air Force), نقيب Naqib (Air Force), ملازم أول Mulazim awwal (Air Force), ملازم ثان Mulazim than (Air Force), Warrant officer (Air Force), Flight sergeant, Sergeant, Senior Airman, Airman First Class
- Skjoldbro — CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons: مشیر Mushir, فريق أول Fariq 'awal, فريق Fariq, لواء Liwa, عميد Amid, عقيد Aqid, مقدم Muqaddam, رائد Ra'id, نقيب Naqib, ملازم أول Mulazim awwal, ملازم ثان Mulazim than, مساعد Musaeid, رقيب أول Raqib 'awal, رقيب Raqib, عريف Earif, جندي Jundiun