# Four-star rank

A four-star rank is the rank of any four-star officer described by the NATO OF-9 code. Four-star officers are often the most senior commanders in the armed services, having ranks such as (full) admiral, (full) general, colonel general, army general, or in the case of those air forces with a separate rank structure, air chief marshal. This designation is also used by some armed forces that are not North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members.

## Australia

In the Australian Defence Force, the following ranks of commissioned officers are awarded four-star ranks:
* Admiral (Royal Australian Navy four-star rank)
* General (Australian Army four-star rank)
* Air chief marshal (Royal Australian Air Force four-star rank)
Four-star ranks have so far been reserved for the Chief of the Defence Force: the highest non-honorary, command position. (While the highest, five-star ranks in the ADF may in future become command positions, they have, thus far been honorary and/or ceremonial appointments, namely: admiral of the fleet, field marshal, and marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force.)

## Bangladesh

* General (Bangladesh Army four-star rank)
* Air chief marshal (Bangladesh Air Force four-star rank)
* Admiral (Bangladesh Navy four-star rank)

## Brazil

* General de exército (Brazilian Army four-star rank)
* Almirante de esquadra (Brazilian Navy four-star rank)
* Tenente brigadeiro (Brazilian Air Force four-star rank)
The four-star rank is reserved in Brazil for the highest post in the military career. The officers in this position take part of the high command of their corporations. The commanders of army, navy and air force are also four-star generals, but they have precedence to all the others military in this rank.

## Cambodia

* នាយឧត្តមសេនីយ៍ Neay Utdamsenei (general) (Royal Cambodian Army, four-star rank)
* នាយឧត្តមនាវី Neay Utdamneavi (admiral) (Royal Cambodian Navy, four-star rank)
* នាយឧត្តមសេនីយ៍ Neay Utdamsenei (general) (Royal Cambodian Air Force, four-star rank)

## Canada

* Admiral/amiral (Canadian Forces officers authorized to wear naval uniform four-star-equivalent rank)
* General/général (Canadian Forces officers authorized to wear army and air force uniform four-star-equivalent rank)
General/admiral is the highest rank within the Canadian Armed Forces as defined within the National Defence Act. Usually, only one officer, the Chief of the Defence Staff, carries the rank of full admiral or general at any one time. However, the crown may authorize additional officers at that rank for special cases such as for Canadian officers in the position of Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, who are usually former Chiefs of the Defence Staff seconded to NATO for that duty.
The King of Canada, Charles III, is Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces. However, in line with the Letters Patent, 1947, the duties and title of commander-in-chief are normally exercised by the Governor General of Canada. The Minister of National Defence, since not a member of the Canadian forces nor within the military chain of command, has no rank. Prince Philip held the four-star rank of admiral in the Royal Canadian Navy in an honorary capacity from 2011 until his death in April 2021.
Before unification in 1968, the rank of air chief marshal (maréchal en chef de l'air) was the four-star equivalent for the Royal Canadian Air Force.

## Germany

The equivalent modern German four-star ranks (OF-9) of the Bundeswehr are as follows:
* General
* Admiral
Not to be confused with Generaloberst and Generaladmiral, the Wehrmacht and Kriegsmarine equivalent until 1945, or Armeegeneral and Flottenadmiral, the National People's Army (NVA) and Volksmarine (East Germany) equivalent until 1990.

## India

* General - Indian Army four-star rank
* Admiral - Indian Navy four-star rank
* Air chief marshal - Indian Air Force four-star rank
These four star rank officers from respective services are appointed as Chiefs of the Army (COAS), Navy (CNS), Air Force (CAS). A four star rank officer from either service is appointed to the post of Chief of Defence Staff.

## Indonesia

* Jenderal (general) – Indonesian Army and Indonesian Marine Corps four-star rank
* Laksamana (admiral) – Indonesian Navy four-star rank
* Marsekal (air chief marshal) – Indonesian Air Force four-star rank

## Italy

* Generale di Corpo d'Armata con Incarichi Speciali (general with special duties) – Chief-of-Staff of the Italian Army
* Ammiraglio di Squadra con Incarichi Speciali (admiral with special duties) – Chief-of-Staff of the Italian Navy
* Generale di Squadra Aerea con Incarichi Speciali (general with special duties) – Chief-of-Staff of the Italian Air Force
* Generale di Corpo d'Armata Comandante Generale (commander general) – Commander of the Carabinieri

## Japan

* General or Admiral - 統合幕僚長たる陸将、海将または空将 (Tōgōbakuryōchō-taru-rikushō,- kaishō-mataha-kūshō, (literal translation: ≪LTG, VADM or Lt.Gen serving as Chief of Staff, Joint Staff≫)) - Japan Self-Defense Forces four-star rank.
* General – 陸上幕僚長たる陸将 (Rikujōbakuryōchō-taru-rikushō, (literal translation: ≪Lieutenant general serving as Chief of Staff JGSDF≫)) – Japan Ground Self-Defense Force four-star rank
* Admiral – 海上幕僚長たる海将 (Kaijōbakuryōchō-taru-kaishō, (literal translation: ≪Vice admiral serving as Chief of Staff JMSDF≫)) – Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force four-star rank
* General – 航空幕僚長たる空将 (Kōkūbakuryocho-taru-kūshō, (literal transration: ≪Lieutenant general serving as Chief of Staff JASDF≫)) – Japan Air Self-Defense Force four-star rank
The rank designations of general and admiral are merely the status and treatment of the position of chief of staff, with lieutenant general and vice admiral being the highest ranks.

## Nepal

In Nepal the Chief of the Army Staff holds a four-star rank.

## Pakistan

* General, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (Four-star rank)
* General, Pakistan Army (Four-star rank)
* Admiral, Pakistan Navy (Four-star rank)
* Air Chief Marshal, Pakistan Air Force (Four star rank)

## Portugal

* General (Portuguese Air Force four-star rank)
* Admiral (Portuguese Navy four-star rank)
* General (Portuguese Army four-star rank)
See also:
* Military Ranks of Portugal

## Sri Lanka

* General (Sri Lanka Army four-star rank)
* Admiral (Sri Lanka Navy four-star rank)
* Air Chief Marshal (Sri Lanka Air Force four-star rank)
In Sri Lanka Armed Forces only the Chief of the Defence Staff can hold a four-star rank.

## Sweden

* Admiral (Swedish Navy)
* General (Swedish Army, Swedish Air Force, Swedish Amphibious Corps)
See also:
* Military ranks of the Swedish Armed Forces

## Philippines

* Admiral (Philippine Navy four-star rank)
* General (Philippine Army four-star rank)
* General (Philippine Air Force four-star rank)
* Admiral (Philippine Coast Guard four-star rank)

## United Kingdom

* Admiral (Royal Navy four-star rank)
* General (British Army and Royal Marines four-star rank)
* Air chief marshal (Royal Air Force four-star rank)
See also:
* List of Royal Navy admirals
* List of Royal Marines full generals
* List of British Army full generals
* List of Royal Air Force air chief marshals

## United States

* Admiral (United States Navy, Coast Guard, Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and NOAA Corps four-star rank)
* General (United States Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force four-star rank)
See also:
* List of active duty United States four-star officers
* List of United States Navy four-star admirals
* List of United States Coast Guard four-star admirals
* List of United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps four-star admirals
* List of United States Army four-star generals
* List of United States Marine Corps four-star generals
* List of United States Air Force four-star generals
* List of United States Space Force four-star generals

## Former USSR and Russia

* General armii (infantry and marines of the Red Army, Russian Army and Air Force four-star rank)
* Glavnii marshal and marshal (four-star equivalents of the Soviet Air Force, and of the other branches of the Red Army)
* Admiral flota (four star equivalent of the Soviet and the Russian navies)
While the general armii wore shoulder insignia with four small stars, the marshal and admiral flota wore one single large star on their shoulder boards, and the glavnii marshal the same large star with a laurel wreath, very similar to the modern army general insignia of the Russian Army.
Upon their formation, the Russian armed forces discontinued the ranks of marshal and glavnii marshal.