Australia The
Royal Australian Navy rank of warrant officer (WO) is the Navy's only rank appointed by warrant and is equivalent to the Army's WO1, and the RAAF's warrant officer. The most senior non-commissioned member of the Navy is the
Warrant Officer of the Navy (WO-N), an appointment that is only held by one person at a time. The
Royal Australian Air Force rank of warrant officer (WOFF) is the RAAF's only rank appointed by warrant and is equivalent to both the Army's WO1 and the Navy's WO. The most senior non-commissioned member of the RAAF is the
Warrant Officer of the Air Force (WOFF-AF), an appointment that is only held by one person at a time. and
Bangladesh Air Force, ranking below
senior warrant officer and
master warrant officer.
Canada In the
Canadian Army and
Royal Canadian Air Force, the cadre of warrant officers includes the specific ranks of warrant officer (),
master warrant officer (), and
chief warrant officer (). Before unification in 1968, there were two ranks of warrant officer (WO2 and WO1) in the Canadian Army and RCAF that followed the British structure. File:Canadian Army OR-9a.svg|Insignia of a chief warrant officer File:Canadian Army OR-8.svg|Insignia of a master warrant officer File:Canadian Army OR-7.svg|Insignia of a warrant officer
India Junior commissioned officers are the Indian Armed Forces equivalent of warrant officer ranks. Those in the
Indian Air Force actually use the ranks of junior warrant officer, warrant officer and master warrant officer. In the
British Indian Army, warrant officer ranks existed but were restricted to British personnel, mostly in specialist appointments such as
conductor and
sub-conductor. Unlike in the British Army, although these appointments were warranted, the appointment and rank continued to be the same and the actual rank of warrant officer was never created. Indian equivalents were
viceroy's commissioned officers.
Ireland Irish Naval Service Malaysia In the
Malaysian Armed Forces, warrant officers () are the highest ranks for non commissioned officers.
New Zealand The
New Zealand Army usage is the same as the British Army, having two ranks: warrant officer class two (WO2), addressed as "sergeant major", and warrant officer class one (WO1), addressed as "sir" or "ma'am". There are also appointments such as company and squadron sergeant major (CSM and SSM) which are usually WO2 positions and regimental sergeant major (RSM), which are usually WO1 positions. The highest ranking WO1 holds the position of Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA). The
Royal New Zealand Navy has a single warrant officer rank, addressed as "sir" or "ma'am". This rank is equivalent to the Army WO1. The RNZN's highest-ranking warrant officer is the Warrant Officer of the Navy. The
Royal New Zealand Air Force also has a single warrant officer rank, equivalent to the Navy warrant officer, and the Army warrant officer class 1 (WO1). A warrant officer in the RNZAF is addressed as "sir" or "ma'am". Previously an aircrew warrant officer was known as master aircrew; however this rank and designation is no longer used. The RNZAF also has a post of Warrant Officer of the Air Force (WOAF), the most senior warrant officer position in the RNZAF. There is also the Warrant Officer of the Defence Force (WODF). This appointment is held by a warrant officer class one (if the recipient originated from the New Zealand Army), or warrant officer (if the recipient originated from the Royal New Zealand Navy or the Royal New Zealand Air Force).
Singapore Boys' Brigade The rank of warrant officer is the highest rank a
Boys' Brigade boy can attain in
secondary school.
National Civil Defence Cadet Corps The rank of warrant officer is given to selected non-commissioned officers in
National Civil Defence Cadet Corps units. It is above the rank of staff sergeant, and below the rank of cadet lieutenant. It is the highest rank a cadet can attain in the NCDCC while they are in secondary school. The rank insignia is one point-up chevron, a
Singapore coat of arms, and a garland below.
Singapore Armed Forces In the
Singapore Armed Forces, warrant officers begin as third warrant officers (3WO), previously starting at the rank of second warrant officer, abbreviated differently as WO2 instead. This rank is given to former
specialists who have attained the rank of
master sergeant and have either gone through, or are about to go through the Warfighter Course at the Specialist and Warrant Officer Advanced School (SWAS) in the Specialist and Warrant Officer Institute (SWI). In order to be promoted to a second warrant officer (2WO) and above, they must have been selected for and graduated from the joint warrant officer course at the
SAFWOS Leadership School. Warrant officers rank between specialists and commissioned officers. They ordinarily serve as battalion or brigade
regimental sergeant majors. Many of them serve as instructors and subject-matter experts in various training establishments. Warrant officers are also seen on the various staffs headed by the respective specialist officers. There are six grades of warrant officer (3WO, 2WO, 1WO, MWO, SWO and CWO). Warrant officers used to have their own mess. For smaller camps, this mess is combined with the officers' mess. Warrant officers have similar responsibilities to commissioned officers. Warrant officers are usually addressed as or ('mister' or 'miss' in Malay language) or as "warrant (surname)" or " or (surname)". Previously, before the Home Team Unified Rank Scheme was introduced, there were two additional ranks of warrant officer, namely senior warrant officer (1) and senior warrant officer (2). Both ranks are now obsolete, although existing holders of these ranks were allowed to keep their rank.
South Africa South African National Defence Force In the
South African National Defence Force, a warrant officer (WO) is set apart from those who hold a non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank. Warrant officers hold a warrant of appointment endorsed by the Minister of Defence. Warrant officers hold very specific powers, which are set out in the Defence Act and the Military Defence Supplementary Measures Act. Before 2008, there were two classes – warrant officer class 1 and 2. A warrant officer class 1 could be appointed to positions such as regimental sergeant major, formation sergeant major or Sergeant Major of the Army or Warrant Officer of the Navy. In 2008, five new warrant officer ranks were introduced above warrant officer class 1: senior warrant officer (SWO), master warrant officer (MWO), chief warrant officer (CWO), senior chief warrant officer (SCWO) and master chief warrant officer (MCWO).
South African Police Service In the
South African Police Service, there is only a single warrant officer (WO) rank.
United Kingdom of the
Royal Bermuda Regiment, 1992
Royal Navy In 1973, warrant officers reappeared in the
Royal Navy, but these appointments followed the army model, with the new warrant officers being ratings rather than officers. They were initially known as
fleet chief petty officers (FCPOs), but were renamed warrant officers in the 1980s. They rank with warrant officers class one in the
British Army and
Royal Marines and with warrant officers in the
Royal Air Force. Five branches (surface ships, submarines, Royal Marines,
Fleet Air Arm, and
Maritime Reserves) each have a command warrant officer. The senior RN WO is the
Warrant Officer of the Royal Navy. Under the Navy Command Transformation Programme, there are now a
Fleet Commander's Warrant Officer and a
Second Sea Lord's Warrant Officer, all working with the
Warrant Officer to the Royal Navy, taking over the roles of the Command Warrant Officers. In 2004, the rank of warrant officer class 2 was introduced. However, the rank was phased out in April 2014, but is being reinstated for non-technical and technical branches of the Royal Navy in 2021.
British Army In the
British Army, there are two warrant ranks, warrant officer class two (WO2) and warrant officer class one (WO1), the latter being the senior of the two. These ranks were previously abbreviated as WOII and WOI (using Roman instead of Indo-Arabic numerals). "Warrant officer first class" or "second class" is incorrect. The rank immediately below WO2 is
staff sergeant (or
colour sergeant). In March 2015, the new appointment of
Army Sergeant Major was created, though the holder is not in fact a warrant officer but a commissioned officer holding the rank of captain. The creation of the appointment of
command sergeant major was announced in 2009.
Royal Marines Before 1879, the
Royal Marines had no warrant officers: by the end of 1881, the Royal Marines had given warrant rank to their sergeant-majors and some other senior non-commissioned officers, in a similar fashion to the army. When the army introduced the ranks of warrant officer class I and class II in 1915, the Royal Marines did the same shortly after. From February 1920, Royal Marines warrant officers class I (renamed warrant officers) were given the same status as Royal Navy warrant officers and the rank of warrant officer class II was abolished in the Royal Marines, with no further promotions to this rank. The marines had introduced warrant officers equivalent in status to the Royal Navy's from 1910 with the Royal Marines gunner (originally titled gunnery sergeant-major), equivalent to the navy's warrant rank of gunner. Development of these ranks closely paralleled that of their naval counterparts: as in the Royal Navy, by the Second World War there were warrant officers and commissioned warrant officers (e.g.
staff sergeant majors, commissioned staff sergeant majors, Royal Marines gunners, commissioned Royal Marines gunners, etc.). As officers, they were saluted by junior ranks in the Royal Marines and the army. These all became (commissioned) branch officer ranks in 1949, and special duties officer ranks in 1956. These ranks would return in 1972, this time similar to their army counterparts, and not as the RN did before. The most senior Royal Marines warrant officer is the
Corps Regimental Sergeant Major. Unlike the RN proper (since 2014), it retains both WO ranks.
Royal Air Force The
Royal Air Force first used the ranks of sergeant major first and second class as inherited from the
Royal Flying Corps, with the rank badges of the Royal coat of arms and the crown respectively. In the 1930s, these ranks were renamed warrant officer class I and II as in the Army. In 1939, the RAF abolished the rank of WOII and retained just the WOI rank, referred to as just warrant officer (WO), which it remains to this day. The RAF has no equivalent to WO2 (NATO OR-8), an RAF WO being equivalent to WO1 (NATO OR-9) and wearing the same badge of rank, the Royal coat of arms. The correct way to address a warrant officer is "sir" or "ma'am" by airmen and "mister or warrant officer (surname)" by officers. Most RAF warrant officers do not hold appointments as in the army or Royal Marines; the exception to this is the station warrant officer, who is considered a "
first amongst equals" on an
RAF station. Warrant officer is the highest non-commissioned rank and ranks above flight sergeant. In 1946, the RAF renamed its aircrew warrant officers to master aircrew, a designation which still survives. In 1950, it renamed warrant officers in technical trades to master technicians, a designation which survived only until 1964. The most senior RAF warrant officer by appointment, although holding the same rank as other RAF warrant officers (OR9), is the
Warrant Officer of the Royal Air Force, previously known as the Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant Officer from the post's creation in 1996 until 2021.
United States , In the
United States Armed Forces, a warrant officer (grade W-1 to W-5) is ranked as an officer above the senior-most
enlisted ranks, as well as
officer cadets and
officer candidates, but below the officer grade of
O‑1 (NATO: OF‑1). All warrant officers rate a salute from those ranked below them; i.e., the enlisted ranks. Warrant officers are highly skilled, single-track specialty officers, and while the ranks are authorized by Congress, each branch of the military selects, manages, and utilizes warrant officers in slightly different ways. For appointment to warrant officer (W-1), normally a
warrant is approved by the service secretary of the respective branch of service. However, appointment to this rank can come via commission by the
President, but this is less common. For the chief warrant officer ranks (CW‑2 to CW‑5), these warrant officers are commissioned by the President. Both warrant officers and chief warrant officers take the same oath of office as regular
commissioned officers (O-1 to O-10). A small number of warrant officers command
detachments,
units, activities, vessels, aircraft, and armored vehicles, as well as lead, coach, train, and counsel subordinates. However, the warrant officer's primary task is to serve as a technical expert, providing valuable skills, guidance, and expertise to commanders and organizations in their particular field. Space Force inherited the same lack of warrant officers from the Air Force, although its inaugural
Chief Master Sergeant,
Roger A. Towberman, stated in a January 2021 interview that Space Force would study the issue and decide whether or not to introduce them. In February 2024, U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff General David W. Allvin announced that the Air Force will reintroduce the warrant officer rank within the information technology and cyber fields as a way to maintain technical leadership with those skills. The first class of 78 future warrant officers were selected in August and began training at Maxwell AFB, Alabama, in October 2024. The
U.S. Army utilizes warrant officers heavily and separates them into two types: Aviators and technical (often called "walking warrants"). Army aviation warrant officers pilot both rotary-wing and fixed wing aircraft and represent about half of all Army warrant officers. Technical warrant officers in the Army specialize in a single branch technical area such as intelligence, sustainment, supply, military police, or special forces; and provide advice and support to commanders. For example, a military police officer and a military intelligence officer both have to be branch qualified in their respective fields, learning how to manage the entire spectrum of their profession. However, within those broad fields warrant officers include such specialists as
CID Special Agents (a very specific track within the military police) and
Counterintelligence Special Agents (a very specific track within military intelligence). These technical warrant officers allow for a soldier with subject matter expertise (like non-commissioned officers), but with the authority of a commissioned officer. Both technical and aviation warrant officers go through initial training and branch assignment at the Army
Warrant Officer Candidate School (WOCS), followed by branch-specific training and education paths. Technical warrant officers are generally selected from the non-commissioned officer ranks (E-5 through E-9). Aviation warrant officer candidates can apply from all branches of service, including junior enlisted and non-prior service civilians (aviation warrant officers join through the Warrant Officer Flight Training Program). The
U.S. Navy and
U.S. Coast Guard discontinued the grade of W-1 in 1975, appointing and commissioning all new entrants as chief warrant officer two (pay grade W-2, with rank abbreviation of CWO2). This was to prevent a pay decrease that an entrant may take since all Navy chief warrant officers are selected strictly from the
chief petty officer pay grades (E-7 through E-9). The Coast Guard allows E-6 personnel to apply for chief warrant officer rank, but only after they have displayed their technical ability by earning a placement in the top 50% on the annual eligibility list for advancement to E-7. In 2018, the U.S. Navy expanded the warrant program, reimplementing the W-1 pay grade for cyber warrant officers and accepting three new WO1s in fiscal year 2019. This was further expanded in 2020 when the Navy introduced the Air Vehicle Pilot (AVP) program. Personnel commissioning as AVPs will be awarded the rank of W-1. Warrant officers in the Army holding the rank of warrant officer 1 (WO1) are formally addressed as "Mr/Ms" [last name]. Upon promotion to chief warrant officer 2, "Chief" becomes an additional authorized term of address. WO1s are informally addressed as "Chief" by many soldiers as well. In the Navy, warrant officers are typically addressed as "Mr/Ms" [last name], "Chief Warrant Officer", or informally as "Warrant" regardless of their grade. The
U.S. Maritime Service (USMS), which is established at 46 U.S. Code § 51701, falls under the authority of the Maritime Administration of the Department of Transportation and is authorized to appoint warrant officers. In accordance with 46 U.S. Code § 51701, the USMS rank structure must be the same as that of the U.S. Coast Guard while uniforms worn are those of the U.S. Navy with distinctive USMS insignia and devices. The USMS has appointed warrant officers, of various specialty fields, during and after World War II. Warrant officer rank is also occasionally used in law enforcement agencies to grant status and pay to certain senior specialist officers who are not in command, such as senior technicians or helicopter pilots. As in the armed forces, they rank above sergeants, but below lieutenants. For example, the
North Carolina State Highway Patrol had several warrant officer helicopter pilot positions from the 1960s until the mid-1980s. The WO insignia was a silver bar with a black square in the center. The WO ranks were abolished when the aviation program expanded and nearly twenty trooper pilot positions were created. The
New York State Police rank of technical lieutenant is similar to a warrant officer rank insofar as it is used to grant commissioned officer authority to non-commissioned officers with extensive technical expertise. ==Gallery==