Vietnamese military ranks and insignia

Vietnamese military ranks and insignia were specified by the National Assembly of Vietnam through the Law on Vietnam People's Army Officer (No: 6-LCT/HĐNN7) on 30 December 1981.[1][2]

The Vietnam People's Army distinguishes three career paths: Officers (sĩ quan), Professional serviceman (Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp), non-commissioned officers (hạ sĩ quan), and enlisted personnel (chiến sĩ).

Because the shoulder insignia of all ranks are represented by an elongated pentagonal epaulette, they are, either detailed or colour-coded to indicate rank, branch, as well as unit.

The shoulder epaulettes from those of enlisted soldiers to field officers are detailed with a silver crest with an encircled silver star. Those of generals and admirals have fully golden epaulettes with corresponding golden crests and encircled stars.

Ranks can show information about branches of military personnel.

The branch colours that form the piping of the shoulder boards are as follows:

* Army (ground forces): red
* Navy: dark blue/navy blue
* Air Force/Air defence: azure
* Border Defence: green
* Coast Guard: blue

The shoulder insignia ranks are in gold shoulder boards in the Ground Forces, Air Force and Navy.

Border Defense Force's ranks are in dark green shoulder boards with red piping. Coast Guard rank and rating insignia are in blue with gold piping.

Beginning in the 2010s, Navy officers were given gold sleeve insignia following the practice of most international navies, which are worn on the cuff in the full dress with the executive curl.

## Table of ranks

[edit]

### Officers

[edit]

The following are rank insignia of commissioned officers of the People's Army. The People's Army of Vietnam is an integrated force, ranks are the same in all services, with an exception of the flag officers of the Navy.

Rank group  | General / flag officers  | Senior officers  | Junior officers

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|
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Vietnam People's Ground Force[3]

* v
* t
* e

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Đại tướng | Thượng tướng | Trung tướng | Thiếu tướng | Đại tá | Thượng tá | Trung tá | Thiếu tá | Đại úy | Thượng úy | Trung úy | Thiếu úy
Vietnam People's Navy[3]

* v
* t
* e

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Đô đốc | Phó đô đốc | Chuẩn đô đốc | Đại tá | Thượng tá | Trung tá | Thiếu tá | Đại úy | Thượng úy | Trung úy | Thiếu úy
Vietnam People's Air Force[3]

* v
* t
* e

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Thượng tướng | Trung tướng | Thiếu tướng | Đại tá | Thượng tá | Trung tá | Thiếu tá | Đại úy | Thượng úy | Trung úy | Thiếu úy
Vietnam Border Guard[3]

* v
* t
* e

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Trung tướng | Thiếu tướng | Đại tá | Thượng tá | Trung tá | Thiếu tá | Đại úy | Thượng úy | Trung úy | Thiếu úy
Vietnam Coast Guard[3]

* v
* t
* e

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Trung tướng (Lieutenant general)  | Thiếu tướng (Major general)  | Đại tá (Senior Colonel)  | Thượng tá (Colonel)  | Trung tá (Lieutenant colonel)  | Thiếu tá (Major)  | Đại úy (Captain)  | Thượng úy (1st Lieutenant)  | Trung úy (2nd Lieutenant)  | Thiếu úy (Warrant Officer)
Vietnam Cyberspace Operations[3]

* v
* t
* e

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Trung tướng | Thiếu tướng | Đại tá | Thượng tá | Trung tá | Thiếu tá | Đại úy | Thượng úy | Trung úy | Thiếu úy
President Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum Defence Force[3]

* v
* t
* e

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Thiếu tướng | Đại tá | Thượng tá | Trung tá | Thiếu tá | Đại úy | Thượng úy | Trung úy | Thiếu úy
Rank group  | General / flag officers  | Senior officers  | Junior officers

### Professional serviceman

[edit]

The following are the insignia for specialist officers for the army, navy, air force, border guard and coast guard respectively. These officers are recruited to specific fields, and do not undertake the same military training as regular officers.

In addressing them, they are referred to using the rank displayed - e.g. as Major (Thiếu tá), Lieutenant (Trung úy) etc. They do not hold any command authority over regular officers.

Rank insignia used by the specialist officer corps since 2008 have a pink silk line running along the shoulder board (before 2008 it was a V-shaped chevron) to distinguish them from the regular officer corps. Naval specialist officers also have a pink border on their cuff insignia [citation needed] in their service dress.

Equivalent
NATO rank  | WO-5  | WO-4  | WO-3  | WO-2  | WO-1

|
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Vietnam People's Ground Force

* v
* t
* e

|  |  |  |  |  |  |
Thượng tá Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Trung tá Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Thiếu tá Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Đại úy Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Thượng úy Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Trung úy Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Thiếu úy Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp
Vietnam People's Navy

* v
* t
* e

|  |  |  |  |  |  |
Thượng tá Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Trung tá Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Thiếu tá Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Đại úy Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Thượng úy Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Trung úy Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Thiếu úy Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp
Vietnam People's Air Force

* v
* t
* e

|  |  |  |  |  |  |
Thượng tá Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Trung tá Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Thiếu tá Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Đại úy Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Thượng úy Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Trung úy Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Thiếu úy Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp
Vietnam Border Guard

* v
* t
* e

|  |  |  |  |  |  |
Thượng tá Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Trung tá Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Thiếu tá Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Đại úy Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Thượng úy Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Trung úy Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Thiếu úy Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp
Vietnam Coast Guard

* v
* t
* e

|  |  |  |  |  |  |
Thượng tá Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Trung tá Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Thiếu tá Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Đại úy Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Thượng úy Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Trung úy Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp | Thiếu úy Quân nhân Chuyên nghiệp

### Enlisted

[edit]

The following are the rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel.

Rank group  | Senior NCOs  | Junior NCOs  | Enlisted

|
|
|

Vietnam People's Ground Force[3]

* v
* t
* e

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Thượng sĩ | Trung sĩ | Hạ sĩ | Binh nhất | Binh nhì
Vietnam People's Navy[3]

* v
* t
* e

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Thượng sĩ | Trung sĩ | Hạ sĩ | Binh nhất | Binh nhì
Vietnam People's Air Force[3]

* v
* t
* e

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Thượng sĩ | Trung sĩ | Hạ sĩ | Binh nhất | Binh nhì
Vietnam Border Guard[3]

* v
* t
* e

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Thượng sĩ | Trung sĩ | Hạ sĩ | Binh nhất | Binh nhì
Vietnam Coast Guard[3]

* v
* t
* e

|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Thượng sĩ | Trung sĩ | Hạ sĩ | Binh nhất | Binh nhì
Rank group  | Senior NCOs  | Junior NCOs  | Enlisted

### Cadet

[edit]

Rank  | Ground Force  | Navy  | Air Force  | Border Guard  | Coast Guard

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|
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Officer Cadet |  |  |  |  |
NCO Cadet & technical staff  |  |  |  |  |

## Lapels

[edit]

Level  | Ground Forces  | Air Force  | Navy  | Border Guard  | Coast Guard  | Cyberspace Operations  | Mausoleum Defence

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|  |  |  |  |  |
Emblem  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
General Officers  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Field Grade Officers
Company Grade Officers  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
NCO
Enlisted  | No equivalent

## Historical ranks

[edit]

Main article: History of Vietnamese military ranks

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Vietnamese military ranks and insignia" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

### Commissioned officer ranks

[edit]

Rank group  | General / flag officers  | Senior officers  | Junior officers

|
|
|

Vietnam People's Ground Force
(1946-1958) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Đại tướng | Trung tướng | Thiếu tướng | Đại tá | Trung tá | Thiếu tá | Đại úy | Trung úy | Thiếu úy | Chuẩn úy
Vietnam People's Ground Force
(1960-1992)[4] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Đại tướng | Thượng tướng | Trung tướng | Thiếu tướng | Đại tá | Thượng tá | Trung tá | Thiếu tá | Đại úy | Thượng úy | Trung úy | Thiếu úy | Học viên Sĩ quan

### Other ranks

[edit]

Rank group  | Senior NCOs  | Junior NCOs  | Enlisted

|
|
|

Vietnam People's Ground Force
(1960-1992)[4] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Thượng sĩ | Trung sĩ | Hạ sĩ | Binh nhất | Binh nhì

## See also

[edit]

* History of Vietnamese military ranks
* Comparative military ranks
* Military rank
* People's Army of Vietnam (Military of Vietnam)
* Vietnam

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "LUẬT - Sĩ quan quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam". Archived from the original on 3 February 2014.
2. ^ Article title[permanent dead link]
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Quy định quân hiệu, cấp hiệu, phù hiệu và lễ phục của Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam". mod.gov.vn (in Vietnamese). Ministry of Defence (Vietnam). 26 August 2009. Archived from the original on 2 December 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
4. ^ a b Pike, Douglas (1989). "National Security". In Cima, Ronald J. (ed.). Vietnam: A Country Study (PDF). Area Handbook. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. p. 256\. LCCN 88600482. Retrieved 5 July 2022.

## External links

[edit]

* (Vietnamese military and police ranks)

* v
* t
* e

Military ranks and insignia by country

* List of comparative military ranks

Africa|

* Algeria
* Angola
* Benin
* Botswana
* Burkina Faso
* Burundi
* Cameroon
* Cape Verde
* Central African Republic
* Chad
* Comoros
* DR Congo
* Republic of the Congo
* Djibouti
* Egypt
* Equatorial Guinea
* Eritrea
* Eswatini
* Ethiopia
* Gabon
* Gambia
* Ghana
* Guinea
* Guinea-Bissau
* Ivory Coast
* Kenya
* Lesotho
* Liberia
* Libya
* Madagascar
* Malawi
* Mali
* Mauritania
* Morocco
* Mozambique
* Namibia
* Niger
* Nigeria
* Rwanda
* São Tomé and Príncipe
* Senegal
* Seychelles
* Sierra Leone
* Somalia
* South Africa
* South Sudan
* Sudan
* Tanzania
* Togo
* Tunisia
* Uganda
* Zambia
* Zimbabwe

States with
limited recognition|

* Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
* Somaliland

Former|

* People's Republic of Angola
* Biafra
* Bophuthatswana
* Ciskei
* Kingdom of Egypt
* Ethiopian Empire
* Katanga
* People's Republic of Mozambique
* Rhodesia
* South West Africa
* Transkei
* Venda
* Zaire

Comparative|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Apartheid States in Southern Africa

Americas|

* Antigua and Barbuda
* Argentina
* Bahamas
* Barbados
* Belize
* Bolivia
* Brazil
* Canada
* Chile
* Colombia
* Cuba
* Dominican Republic
* Ecuador
* El Salvador
* Guatemala
* Guyana
* Haiti
* Honduras
* Jamaica
* Mexico
* Nicaragua
* Paraguay
* Peru
* Saint Kitts and Nevis
* Suriname
* Trinidad and Tobago
* United States
* Officers:
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Coast Guard
* Enlisted:
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Coast Guard
* Other:
* Marine Corps
* Space Force
* Warrant officer
* Opposing forces
* Uruguay
* Venezuela

Former|

* Canada (pre-Unification)
* Confederate States of America
* Union
* Army
* Navy
* Costa Rica
* Republic of Cuba
* Empire of Brazil
* Panama
* Republic of Texas
* Army
* Navy
* United States Army enlisted
* World War I
* World War II

Comparative|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Asia|

* Afghanistan
* Bahrain
* Bangladesh
* Bhutan
* Brunei
* Cambodia
* PR of China
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Rocket Force
* Armed Police
* India
* Army
* Air Force
* Navy
* Coast Guard
* Border Roads Organisation
* Paramilitary forces
* Indonesia
* Iran
* Iraq
* Israel
* Japan
* Jordan
* Kazakhstan
* Korea
* North
* South
* Kuwait
* Kyrgyzstan
* Laos
* Lebanon
* Malaysia
* Maldives
* Mongolia
* Myanmar
* Nepal
* Oman
* Pakistan
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Marines
* Civil Armed Forces
* Maritime Security Agency
* Philippines
* Qatar
* Saudi Arabia
* Singapore
* Sri Lanka
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Coast Guard
* Syria
* Tajikistan
* Thailand
* Timor-Leste
* Turkmenistan
* United Arab Emirates
* Uzbekistan
* Vietnam
* Yemen

States with
limited recognition|

* Abkhazia
* Palestine
* South Ossetia
* Taiwan (Republic of China)

Former|

* Artsakh
* China
* Empire
* Republic (1912–1949)
* Dutch East Indies
* East Turkestan (Second Republic)
* People's Republic of Kampuchea
* Imperial Iran
* Imperial Japan
* Army
* Navy
* Korea
* Empire
* Liberation Army
* Kingdom of Laos
* Manchukuo
* Mengjiang
* Mongolian People's Republic
* Vietnam
* State
* South
* South Yemen
* Tibet
* Tuva

Comparative|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Europe|

* Albania
* Armenia
* Austria
* Azerbaijan
* Belarus
* Belgium
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Home Guard
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Army
* Navy
* Gendarmerie
* Air and Space Force
* Foresters
* Germany
* Georgia
* Greece
* Hungary
* Iceland
* Land Forces
* Coast Guard
* Ireland
* Italy
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Carabinieri
* Finance Guard
* Latvia
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* North Macedonia
* Malta
* Moldova
* Monaco
* Montenegro
* Netherlands
* Norway
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Cossacks
* Between 1994 and 2010
* San Marino
* Serbia
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Turkey
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom
* Officers:
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Other:
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* Vatican

States with
limited recognition|

* Kosovo
* Northern Cyprus
* Transnistria

Former|

* Albania
* Kingdom
* People's Socialist Republic
* Austria–Hungary
* Army
* Navy
* Bulgaria
* Kingdom
* People's Republic
* Independent State of Croatia
* Czechoslovakia
* German Empire
* Weimar Republic
* Nazi Germany
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* East Germany
* Kingdom of Greece
* Army
* Navy
* Air Force
* France
* Napoleonic Grand Army
* Hungary
* Kingdom
* People's Republic
* Italy
* Kingdom
* Social Republic
* Ottoman Empire
* Polish People's Republic
* Republika Srpska
* Romania
* Kingdom
* Socialist Republic
* Russian Empire
* White Movement
* Slovakia (First Republic)
* Soviet Union
* 1918–35
* 1935–40
* 1940–43
* 1943–55
* 1955–91
* Spain
* 2nd Republic
* State
* Yugoslavia
* Kingdom
* Socialist Federal Republic
* Federal Republic

Comparative|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Oceania|

* Australia
* Fiji
* New Zealand
* Papua New Guinea
* Tonga
* Vanuatu

Comparative|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Language|

| Anglophone|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

|

Arabophone|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Francophone|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Gendarmerie
* Officers
* Enlisted

Hispanophone|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Lusophone|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Military police
* Officers
* Enlisted

Post-Soviet states|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Commonwealth of Nations|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

European Union|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air force
* Officers
* Enlisted

NATO|

* Army
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Navy
* Officers
* Enlisted
* Air Force
* Officers
* Enlisted

Comparative ranks of

* Star ranking
* WWI
* Officers
* WWII
* Officers
* Women's services
* Marine forces
* Space forces
* Gendarmeries
* UK and US

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