The Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) use a unified ranking system across the Army, Navy, and Air Force, with most insignia standardized. The Marine Corps, although part of the Navy, is an exception: it uses Army-style rank titles while retaining Navy-style insignia, with blue replacing red for enlisted personnel.
Flag officers hold branch-specific titles, such as in the Army, in the Navy, and in the Air Force. Junior and middle-ranking officers use common titles (e.g., ) but add a corps abbreviation. For example, an Army colonel in the Infantry branch is styled , a Navy colonel in the Supply Corps is styled , and an Air Force colonel in the Electronics Corps is styled . Enlisted personnel share the same titles in the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, where the junior enlisted ranks are styled . In the Navy, the equivalent junior enlisted ranks are styled , and Navy enlisted personnel use corps abbreviations after their titles.
Insignia follow a standardized system: flag officers wear stars, middle-ranking officers use jasmine buds, and junior officers use bars. Senior NCOs use wavy bars, NCOs use yellow chevrons, senior enlisted personnel wear red chevrons (blue in the Navy and Marine Corps), and junior enlisted personnel wear red bars (blue in the Navy and Marine Corps).
Current military ranks
All branches of the armed forces maintain the same rank insignia, with minor color difference in insignia background. Since, all services have at least three type of uniform (Service dress uniform (Pakaian Dinas Harian / PDH), Full dress uniform (Pakaian Dinas Upacara / PDU), and Field uniform (Pakaian Dinas Lapangan / PDL)), there are three different insignia style corresponding to type of uniform. Aside from type of the uniform above, The Navy has uniform for wear in overseas service, officially known as Black Navy. When wearing such uniform, officers wear their ranks as gold stripes on their lower sleeves. The number and width of the stripes for each rank is similar to that of the United States Navy.
The rank insignia for same services are also differentiated by red piping (command) or no piping (staff) at the sides of the boards.
Note: Indonesia is not a member of NATO, so there is no official equivalence between the Indonesian military ranks and those defined by NATO. The displayed parallel is approximate and for illustration purposes only.
Commissioned officers The following are the rank insignia for commissioned officers for the army, navy and air force respectively. Army rank insginia on PDU Army rank insginia on PDL Navy rank insginia on PDU Navy rank insginia on PDL Navy sleeve rank on Black Navy uniformNo insignia Air Force rank insginia on PDU Air Force rank insginia on PDL
Enlisted personnel The rank insignia for enlisted personnel for the army, navy and air force respectively. Army rank insginia on PDU Army rank insginia on PDL Navy rank insginia on PDU Navy rank insginia on PDL Air Force rank insginia for PDU Air Force rank insginia on PDL
History Ranks between 1945–1957 The following ranks were used at the beginning of the establishment of the (TKR, People's Security Army) in late 1945, the basis of the present day Indonesian National Armed Forces. This first rank system, with insignia following the former Imperial Japanese practice, was used until mid 1948.
The TKR's Ground, Air and Naval Forces, later the Indonesian Army, Air Force, and Navy, used these ranks with different insignias for Navy officers following Japanese and Dutch precedence. (The same Army ranks were also used by the nascent Indonesian Marine Corps which was established at the same time.)
In 1950 the Navy received updated officer shoulder board insignia which removed the executive curl on the shoulder board mark.
Note: Previous spelling used until 1973 was utilised.
Indonesian Army Commissioned officers The following were the rank insignia of commissioned officers. 1945-1949 Rank groupGeneral officers Field officers Junior officers Rank Insignia 1949-1957Rank(adopted 1950) Insignia Full dress uniform Insignia Service dress uniform Insignia Combat uniform No Insignia
Enlisted personnel The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnels. 1945-1949 Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted Rank Insignia 1949-1957Rank Insignia Full dress uniform Insignia Service dress uniform Insignia Combat uniform
Indonesian Navy Commissioned officers The following were the rank insignia of commissioned officers. 1945-1950 Rank group General officers Field officers Junior officers Rank Insignia Full dress uniform and Service dress uniform Insignia Service dress uniform and Combat uniform 1950-1957 Rank group Flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Rank Insignia Full dress uniform Insignia Service dress uniform
Enlisted ratings The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnels. 1945-1950 Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted Rank Insignia Full dress uniform and Service dress uniform Insignia Service dress uniform and Combat uniform 1950-1957 Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted Rank Insignia Service dress uniform and Combat uniform
Indonesian Air Forces Commissioned officers The following were the rank insignia of commissioned officers.
1946–1949 Rank group Flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Rank Insignia 1949–1957 Rank group Flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Rank (adopted 1950) Insignia Full dress uniform Insignia Service dress uniform
Enlisted personnel The rank insignia of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnels. 1946-1949 Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted Rank Insignia 1949-1957 Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted Rank Insignia Full dress uniform Insignia Service dress uniform and Combat uniform
Ranks between 1957–1973 The rank system was updated by yet another Government Regulation on 22 June 1957. The Army received the Brigadier General rank, the Navy flag officer ranks were replaced by new ones (Admiral, Vice Admiral, Rear Admiral and Commodore replacing Admiral 1st Class, Admiral 2nd Class and Admiral 3rd Class) and the Air Force flag officer ranks replaced to be similar to the Navy (with the special title "Udara"). The ranks remained Army-style in the Army and Navy and army-style ranks were formally introduced into the air force. NCOs and Enlisted ranks and ratings became different per service branch. Although the government regulation did not specifically mention rank to be used in the Naval Commando Corps, the rank system of Army was begun to be used in the Naval Commando Corps (Marine Corps today). Note: Enhanced Indonesian Spelling System used
Rank CategoryIndonesian Army,Naval Commando CorpsIndonesian NavyIndonesian Air ForceGenerals, flag officers,air marshalsJenderal Besar (General of the Army)Laksamana Besar (Admiral of the Fleet)Laksamana Besar Udara (Marshal of the Air Force)Jenderal (General)Laksamana (Admiral)Laksamana Udara (Air Chief Marshal)Letnan Jenderal (Lieutenant General)Laksamana Madya (Vice Admiral)Laksamana Madya Udara (Air Marshal)Mayor Jenderal(formerly Jenderal Mayor) (Major General)Laksamana Muda (Rear Admiral)Laksamana Muda Udara (Air Vice Marshal)Brigadir Jenderal (Brigadier General)Komodor (Commodore)Komodor Udara (Air Commodore)Field officersKolonel (Colonel)Kolonel Laut (Captain)Kolonel Udara (Colonel)Letnan Kolonel (Lieutenant Colonel)Letnan Kolonel Laut (Commander)Letnan Kolonel Udara (Lieutenant Colonel)Mayor (Major)Mayor (Lieutenant Commander)Mayor Udara (Major)Junior grade officersKapten (Captain)Kapten (Lieutenant)Kapten Udara (Captain)Letnan I (First Lieutenant)Letnan (Lieutenant junior grade)Letnan Udara I (First Lieutenant)Letnan II (Second Lieutenant)Letnan Muda (Ensign)Letnan Udara II (Second Lieutenant)Warrant officers and non-commissioned personnelPembantu Letnan I (Chief Warrant Officer)Pembantu Letnan (Warrant Officer)Letnan Muda Udara I (Warrant Officer First Class)Pembantu Letnan Calon Perwira (Warrant Officer First Class)Pembantu Letnan II (Warrant Officer Second Class)Ajudan (Adjutant)Letnan Muda Udara II (Warrant Officer Second Class)Sersan Mayor (Sergeant Major)Sersan Mayor I (Master Chief Petty Officer)Sersan Mayor Udara (Sergeant Major)Sersan Mayor II (Senior Chief Petty Officer)Sersan Kepala (Staff Sergeant)Sersan I (Chief Petty Officer)Sersan Udara I (Flight Sergeant)Sersan I (Sergeant First Class)Sersan II (Sergeant)Sersan II (Petty Officer First Class)Sersan Udara II (Sergeant)Enlisted personnel,ratingsKopral Kepala (Master Corporal) Kopral (Petty Officer Second Class) Kopral Udara I (Corporal)Kopral I (Corporal)Kopral II (Lance Corporal)Kopral Udara II (Lance Corporal)Prajurit Kader (Specialist) Kelasi I (Seaman) Prajurit Udara I (Airman First Class)Prajurit I (Private First Class)Prajurit II (Private)Kelasi II (Seaman Apprentice)Prajurit Udara II (Airman) Kelasi III (Seaman Recruit)
Changes between 1973–1990 Government Regulation No. 24/ 1973, updated the rank system once again, the changes were as follows: (General Officers, Flag Officers, and Air Officers) Ranks of General, Lieutenant General, Major General, Brigadier General are used in the Army, the Naval Commando Corps (Marine Corps today), and the Police. Ranks of Admiral, Vice Admiral, and Rear Admiral are to be maintained in the Navy and the rank of Commodore (lit. 'First Admiral') reintroduced Air Chief Marshal, Air Marshal, Air Vice Marshal, and Air Commodore are to be used in the Air Force (Field Officers), used same rank system in all branches of armed forces. (Subaltern Officers), used same rank system in all branches of armed forces. (Warrant Officers), used same Army rank system in all branches of armed forces. Bintara (NCOs), used same rank system in all branches of armed forces. Tamtama (Higher Enlisted Rank or Corporal), used Navy and Air Force rank system in all branches of the armed forces. Tamtama (Lower Enlisted Rank or Privates) Private is used in the Army, the Naval Commando Corps (Marine Corps today), and the Air Force (equivalent to Airman) Seaman is used in the Navy Agent/Constable is used in the Police (later restricted to the Mobile Brigade and the Marine and Air Police, all policemen in the other branches would later start directly as Sergeants)
Changes between 1990–1997 During this period, there are minor changes of rank system in all branch of the armed forces, which are removal of rank of senior warrant officer and new enlisted ranks introduced (Master Corporal and Petty Officer 3rd Class and Specialist Private, Seaman and Senior Airman). Those changes are based on Government Regulation No.6/ 1990.
Changes between 1997–2010 Government Regulation No. 32/ 1997 regarding the rank system of armed forces was issued. The primary difference with previous regulation were that five-star honorary rank for all branches of the armed forces was reintroduced (after a brief period in the 1950s) and warrant officers rank was re-introduced.
In 2000, with the Indonesian National Police having regained its independence from the armed forces beginning April 1999, the TNI rank system ceased to be used.
Current ranks 2010–present Five-star honorary rank for all branches of the armed forces are no longer regulated on the latest regulation.
The ranks and rank insignia used today come from the Armed Forces rank regulations of 1990 and 1997, themselves revisions of the first rank regulations published in 1973 to use the current system. All three branches have the same rank titles at the same paygrades, except for the Perwira Tinggi (General Officers, Flag Officers, and Air Officers) and the Tamtama (Lower Rank Enlisted) of the Navy and Air Force.
See also Indonesian National Police ranks Indonesian Maritime Security Agency ranks
References
External links military rank at official sites of Tentara Nasional Indonesia