Lieutenant general
Lieutenant general
Comparative military ranks in English | ||
|---|---|---|
| Navies | Armies | Air forces |
| Commissioned officers | ||
| Admiral of the fleet | Field marshalor General of the army | Marshal of the air force |
| Admiral | General | Air chief marshal |
| Vice admiral | Lieutenant general | Air marshal |
| Rear admiral | Major general | Air vice-marshal |
| Commodore | Brigadieror brigadier general | Air commodore |
| Captain | Colonel | Group captain |
| Commander | Lieutenant colonel | Wing commander |
| Lieutenant commander | Majoror commandant | Squadron leader |
| Lieutenant | Captain | Flight lieutenant |
| Lieutenant
junior gradeor sub-lieutenant | Lieutenantor first lieutenant | Flying officer |
| Ensignor midshipman | Second lieutenant | Pilot officer |
| Officer cadet | Officer cadet | Flight cadet |
| Enlisted grades | ||
| Warrant officeror chief petty officer | Warrant officeror sergeant major | Warrant officer |
| Petty officer | Sergeant | Flight sergeant |
| Leading seaman | Corporalor bombardier | Corporal |
| Seaman | Privateor gunneror trooper | Aircraftmanor airman |
| Talk·View | ||
Lieutenant general, lieutenant-general and similar (abbrev Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a captain general.
In modern armies, lieutenant general normally ranks immediately below general and above major general; it is equivalent to the navy rank of vice admiral, and in air forces with a separate rank structure, it is equivalent to air marshal. A lieutenant general commands an army corps, made up of typically three army divisions, and consisting of around 60,000–70,000 soldiers (U.S.).
The seeming incongruity that a lieutenant general outranks a major general (whereas a major outranks a lieutenant) is due to the derivation of the former rank from sergeant major general, which was also subordinate to lieutenant general. In some countries (e.g. France and Italy), the ranks of corps general or lieutenant colonel general are used instead of lieutenant general, in an attempt to solve this apparent anomaly – these ranks are often translated into English as lieutenant general.
However, some countries of Latin America such as Brazil and Chile use divisional general as the equivalent of lieutenant general. In addition, because no brigadier general rank is used in Japan, lieutenant general is the rank of divisional commander. Therefore, it corresponds to divisional general of these countries. In a number of smaller states which employ NATO and western style military organizational structures, because of the limited number of soldiers in their armies, the rank of lieutenant general is the highest army rank in use. In Latvia, Lithuania and Singapore, the chief of defence is a lieutenant general, and in the Irish Defence Forces and Israel Defense Forces, the Chief of Staff holds this rank.
Comparative military ranks in English | ||
|---|---|---|
| Navies | Armies | Air forces |
| Commissioned officers | ||
| Admiral of the fleet | Field marshalor General of the army | Marshal of the air force |
| Admiral | General | Air chief marshal |
| Vice admiral | Lieutenant general | Air marshal |
| Rear admiral | Major general | Air vice-marshal |
| Commodore | Brigadieror brigadier general | Air commodore |
| Captain | Colonel | Group captain |
| Commander | Lieutenant colonel | Wing commander |
| Lieutenant commander | Majoror commandant | Squadron leader |
| Lieutenant | Captain | Flight lieutenant |
| Lieutenant
junior gradeor sub-lieutenant | Lieutenantor first lieutenant | Flying officer |
| Ensignor midshipman | Second lieutenant | Pilot officer |
| Officer cadet | Officer cadet | Flight cadet |
| Enlisted grades | ||
| Warrant officeror chief petty officer | Warrant officeror sergeant major | Warrant officer |
| Petty officer | Sergeant | Flight sergeant |
| Leading seaman | Corporalor bombardier | Corporal |
| Seaman | Privateor gunneror trooper | Aircraftmanor airman |
| Talk·View | ||
Lieutenant general ranks by country
Lieutenant general (Australia)
Teniente general (Argentina)
Lieutenant general (Bangladesh)
Porucnik-General (Bosnia & Herzegovina)
Lieutenant general (Botswana)[1]
General de Divisão (Brazil)
Генерал-лейтенант (Bulgaria)
Lieutenant-general (Canada)
zhong jiang (China and Taiwan)
General pukovnik (Croatia)
Generálporučík (Czech Republic)
Generalløjtnant (Denmark)
Kindralleitnant (Estonia)
Kenraaliluutnantti (Finland)
Général de corps d'armée in the French Armed Forces, including the French Air Force since 1939. Prior officially, Général de division for the French Army and Vice-Amiral for the French Navy since 1791, formerly designated as Lieutenant-General of France. (France)
გენერალ ლეიტენანტი ("general leitenanti") (Georgia)
Generalleutnant (Germany)
Αντιστράτηγος (Greek Army Antistrátigos, vice general)
Altábornagy (Hungary)
Lieutenant general (India)
Letnan Jenderal (Indonesia)
Sepahbod (Iran)
Leifteanant-Ghinearál (Republic of Ireland)
Rav Aluf (Israel)
Generale di Corpo d'Armata (Italy)
Gjenerallejtenant (Kosovo)
Ģenerālleitnants (Latvia)
Generolas leitenantas (Lithuania)
Генерал потполковник (general potpolkovnik) (North Macedonia)
Luitenant-generaal (Netherlands)
Lieutenant General (Nigeria)
Generalløytnant (Norway)
Lieutenant general (Pakistan)
Tenyente heneral (Philippines)
Generał broni (Poland)
Tenente-general (Portugal)
General de corp de armată (Romania) (see Général de corps d'armée (Fr))
Генерал-лейтенант ("general-lieutenant") (Soviet Union and Russian Federation)
Генерал-потпуковник ("general potpukovnik") (Serbia)
Teniente general (Spain)
Lieutenant general (Sri Lanka)
Generallöjtnant (Sweden)
Korpskommandant / Commandant de corps / Comandante di corpo (Switzerland)
Pol tho ("พลโท") (Thailand)
Korgeneral (Turkey)
Lieutenant general (United Kingdom)
Lieutenant general (United States)
Trung tướng (Vietnam)
Lieutenant general (Zimbabwe)
Army ranks
Dagar Jenral(Afghan National Army)
Teniente General(Argentine Army)
Lieutenant general(Australian Army)
Generalleutnant(Austrian Army)
Lieutenant general(Bangladesh Army)
Lt général / Lt generaal(Belgian Land Component)
Lieutenant general(Bosnian Army)
General de Divisão(Brazilian Army)
Генерал-лейтенант(Bulgarian Army)
Lieutenant general(Canadian Army)
Teninete General(Chilean Army) Abolished in 2002
Zhong Jiang(People's Liberation Army)
General pukovnik(Croatian Army)
Generálporučík(Czech Army)
Generalløjtnant(Royal Danish Army)
Lieutenant general -فريق(Egyptian Army)
Kindralleitnant(Estonian Land Forces)
Kenraaliluutnantti / generallöjtnant(Finnish Army)
გენერალ ლეიტენანტი(Georgian Defense Forces)
Generalleutnant (German Army)
Αντιστράτηγος(Greek Army)
Altábornagy(Hungarian Army)
Lieutenant general (Indian Army)
Letnan Jenderal(Indonesian Army)
Sepahbod(Iran Army)
Leifteanant-ghinearál Irish Army
Gjenerallejtnant Kosovo Security Forces
Генерал потполковник (general potpolkovnik)(Army of the Republic of North Macedonia)
Luitenant-generaal(Royal Netherlands Army)
Generalløytnant(Royal Norwegian Army)
Lieutenant general (Pakistan Army)
Tenyente Heneral(Philippine Army)
Generał broni(Polish Army)
Tenente-general(Portuguese Army)
Lieutenant-general (Russian Federation)
Teniente general(Spanish Army)
Generallöjtnant(Swedish Army)
Korpskommandant / Commandant de corps / Comandante di corpo(Swiss Armed Forces)
Pol tho(Royal Thai Army)
Korgeneral(Turkish Land Forces)
Lieutenant general(UK (British) Army)
Lieutenant general(United States Army)
Lieutenant general(US Army, September 1959 to October 2015)
Trung tướng (Vietnam People's Army)
Air force ranks
Lieutenant général / Luitenant-generaal(Belgian Air Component)
Генерал-лейтенант(Bulgarian Air Force)
Generalløjtnant(Royal Danish Air Force)
Teniente general(Ecuadorian Air Force)
Kenraaliluutnantti / Generallöjtnant(Finnish Air Force)
გენერალ ლეიტენანტი(Georgian Air Force)
Luitenant-generaal(Royal Netherlands Air Force)
Generał broni(Polish Air Force)
Tenente-general(Portuguese Air Force)
Teniente-general(Spanish Air Force)
Generallöjtnant(Swedish Air Force)
Korgeneral(Turkish Air Force)
Lieutenant general(United States Air Force)
Lieutenant general(Vietnam Air Force)
Lieutenant general equivalent ranks
فريق (Algeria)
General-de-Divisão (Brasil)
General de División (Chile)
General pukovnik (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Sepah-Bod (Iran)
Rav Aluf (Israel)
Generale di Corpo d'Armata (Italy)
Rikugun-Chūjō陸軍中将(IJA), Rikushō陸将, and Kūshō空将(JSDF,three-star rank) (Japan)
Chungjang (North Korea)
Jungjang (South Korea)
General de División (México)
Generał broni (Poland)
Farig فريق (Saudi Arabia)
(General-potpukovnik) Генерал-потпуковник (Serbia)
Generalpodpolkovnik (Slovenia)
Korpskommandant/Commandant de corps (Switzerland)
Trung tướng and Phó Đô đốc (Vietnam)
General-de-Divisão(Brazilian Army)
Major Brigadeiro(Brazilian Air Force)
Général de corps d'armée (France) featuring 4 stars instead of the typical 3 stars
Rav Aluf (Israel)
Generale di Corpo d'Armata (Italy)
Rikushō (Japan Ground Self-Defense Force)
Kūshō(Japan Air Self-Defense Force)
Генерал-потпуковник (Serbian Army)
Генерал-потпуковник (Serbian Air Force)
Other Lieutenant general ranks
Gruppenführer (Waffen-SS)
Feldmarschallleutnant (Austro-Hungarian Army)
Korpskommandant (Swiss Army)
See also
Comparative military ranks
British and United States military ranks compared
Israel Defense Forces ranks
List of lieutenant generals in the United States Army before 1960