Military ranks of Cuba

The ranks of the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces are the military insignia used by the Cuban military.

Current insignia

In 1980-1989 Cuba used ranks and insignia based on the Soviet system (to the extent of copying the embroidery pattern on officers' shoulderboards).

Nowadays, rank insignia are green colored for officers up to senior colonel and the rank insignia used during the early 1970s for junior officers were reinstated. Moreover, other ranks insignia are now on the sleeve and are similar to those used during the Cuban Revolution by the Rebel Army. Only general rank insignia are still based on the Soviet system.

Officers

The following are the rank insignia for commissioned officers.

Rank group	Honorary ranks
Shoulder board
	Comandante en Jefe	Comandante de la Revolución

Rank group	General / flag officers					Senior officers				Junior officers
Cuban Revolutionary Army^[1] v t e
Cuban Revolutionary Army^[1] v t e		General de ejército	General de cuerpo de ejército	General de división	General de brigada	Primer coronel	Coronel	Teniente coronel	Mayor	Capitán	Primer teniente	Teniente	Subteniente
Cuban Revolutionary Navy^[2] v t e
Cuban Revolutionary Navy^[2] v t e			Almirante	Vicealmirante	Contralmirante	Capitán de flotilla	Capitán de navío	Capitán de fragata	Capitán de corbeta	Teniente de navío	Teniente de fragata	Teniente de corbeta	Alférez
Cuban Air and Air Defense Force^[1] v t e
Cuban Air and Air Defense Force^[1] v t e		General del Aire	General de cuerpo de ejército	General de división	General de brigada	Primer coronel	Coronel	Teniente coronel	Mayor	Capitán	Primer teniente	Teniente	Subteniente
Rank group	General / flag officers					Senior officers				Junior officers

Other ranks

The following are the rank insignia for enlisted personnel and NCOs.

Rank group	Senior NCOs							Junior NCOs		Enlisted
Cuban Revolutionary Army^[1] v t e											No insignia
Cuban Revolutionary Army^[1] v t e	Mayor suboficial	Primer suboficial	Segundo suboficial	Suboficial	Sargento de primera	Sargento de segunda	Sargento de tercera		Cabo		Soldado
Cuban Revolutionary Navy^[2] v t e										No insignia	No insignia
Cuban Revolutionary Navy^[2] v t e	Suboficial mayor	Primer suboficial	Segundo suboficial	Suboficial	Sargento primero	Sargento de segunda	Sargento de tercera		Cabo	Marinero de primera	Marinero
Cuban Air and Air Defense Force^[1] v t e											No insignia
Cuban Air and Air Defense Force^[1] v t e	Mayor suboficial	Primer suboficial	Segundo suboficial	Suboficial	Sargento de primera	Sargento de segunda	Sargento de tercera		Cabo		Soldado
Rank group	Senior NCOs							Junior NCOs		Enlisted

Historical ranks

The Cuban system was influenced by Soviet ranks.^[3]

Officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group	General / flag officers					Senior officers			Junior officers
Cuban Revolutionary Army (1976–1985)^[4]
Cuban Revolutionary Army (1976–1985)^[4]	Comandante en jefe	General de ejército	General de cuerpo de ejército	General de división	General de brigada	Coronel	Teniente coronel	Mayor	Capitán		Primer teniente	Teniente	Subteniente
Cuban Revolutionary Army (1985–1990)
Cuban Revolutionary Army (1985–1990)	Comandante en jefe	General de ejército	General de cuerpo de ejército	General de división	General de brigada	Coronel	Teniente coronel	Mayor	Primer capitán	Capitán	Primer teniente	Teniente	Subteniente
Rank group	General / flag officers					Senior officers			Junior officers
Cuban Revolutionary Navy (1976–1985)^[5]
Cuban Revolutionary Navy (1976–1985)^[5]			Almirante	Vicealmirante	Contralmirante	Capitán de navío	Capitán de fragata	Capitán de corbeta	Teniente de navío		Teniente de fragata	Teniente de corbeta	Alférez
Cuban Revolutionary Navy (1985–1990)
Cuban Revolutionary Navy (1985–1990)			Almirante	Vicealmirante	Contralmirante	Capitán de navío	Capitán de fragata	Capitán de corbeta	Teniente de flotila	Teniente de navío	Teniente de fragata	Teniente de corbeta	Alférez
Rank group	General / flag officers					Senior officers			Junior officers
Cuban Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force (1976–1985)^[6]
		General del aire	Teniente general	General de división	General de brigada	Coronel	Teniente coronel	Mayor	Capitán		Primer teniente	Teniente	Subteniente
Cuban Revolutionary Air and Air Defense Force (1985–1990)
		General del aire	Teniente general	General de división	General de brigada	Coronel	Teniente coronel	Mayor	Primer capitán	Capitán	Primer teniente	Teniente	Subteniente
Rank group	General / flag officers					Senior officers			Junior officers

Other ranks

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

Rank group	Senior NCOs					Junior NCOs		Enlisted
Cuban Revolutionary Army (1970–1985)^[4]
Cuban Revolutionary Army (1970–1985)^[4]	Primer Sub-oficial	Sub-oficial	Sargento de primera	Sargento de segunda	Sargento de tercera			Soldado de primera	Soldado
Cuban Revolutionary Army (1985–1990)
Cuban Revolutionary Army (1985–1990)			Sargento de primera	Sargento de segunda	Sargento de tercera		Cabo	Soldado de primera	Soldado de segunda
Rank group	Senior NCOs					Junior NCOs		Enlisted
Cuban Revolutionary Navy (1970–1985)^[5]
Cuban Revolutionary Navy (1970–1985)^[5]	Primer Sub-oficial	Sub-oficial	Sargento de primera	Sargento de segunda	Sargento de tercera			Marinero de primera	Marinero
Cuban Revolutionary Navy (1985–1990)
Cuban Revolutionary Navy (1985–1990)			Sargento de primera	Sargento de segunda	Sargento de tercera		Cabo	Marinero de primera	Marinero de segunda
Rank group	Senior NCOs					Junior NCOs		Enlisted

Republic of Cuba (1902–1959)

Commissioned officer ranks

The rank insignia of commissioned officers.

Rank group				Senior officers			Junior officers
Cuban National Army (–1959)^[7]
Cuban National Army (–1959)^[7]	General	Mayor general	General de brigada	Coronel	Teniente coronel	Comandante	Capitán	Teniente primero	Segundo teniente	Subteniente
Cuban National Navy ^{[citation needed]}
Cuban National Navy ^{[citation needed]}	Almirante	Vicealmirante	Contralmirante	Capitán de navío	Capitán de fragata	Capitán de corbeta	Teniente de navío	Teniente de fragata	Alférez de navío	Alférez

Other ranks

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

Rank group					Junior NCOs		Enlisted
Cuban National Army (–1959)^[7]								No insignia
Cuban National Army (–1959)^[7]	Suboficial	Sargento de primera	Sargento de segunda	Sargento de tercera	Cabo de primera	Cabo	Soldado de primera	Soldado raso
Cuban National Navy ^{[citation needed]}								No insignia
Cuban National Navy ^{[citation needed]}	Sargento mayor	Sargento de primera	Sargento de segunda	Sargento de tercera	Cabo de primera	Cabo	Marinero de primera	Marinero

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Grados militares". minfar.gob.cu (in Spanish). Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (Cuba). Retrieved 28 May 2021.
^ ^a ^b "Grados militares". minfar.gob.cu (in Spanish). Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (Cuba). Retrieved 28 May 2021.
^ Handbook 1979, p. 6-6.
^ ^a ^b Handbook 1979, p. 6-17.
^ ^a ^b Handbook 1979, p. 6-19.
^ Handbook 1979, p. 6-18.
^ ^a ^b Jurado, Carlos Caballero; Thomas, Nigel (1990). Central American Wars 1959–89. Men-at-Arms. Osprey Publishing. p. 37. ISBN 9780850459456.

Handbook on the Cuban Armed Forces: DDB-2680-62-79 (PDF). April 1979.

External links

"Cuba". Uniform Insignia. The International Encyclopedia of Uniform Insignia. Retrieved 9 February 2025.

[Cuba_Army&AirForce-1] "Grados militares". minfar.gob.cu (in Spanish). Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (Cuba). Retrieved 28 May 2021.

[Cuba_Navy-2] "Grados militares". minfar.gob.cu (in Spanish). Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces (Cuba). Retrieved 28 May 2021.

[FOOTNOTEHandbook19796-6-3] Handbook 1979, p. 6-6.

[FOOTNOTEHandbook19796-17-4] Handbook 1979, p. 6-17.

[FOOTNOTEHandbook19796-19-5] Handbook 1979, p. 6-19.

[FOOTNOTEHandbook19796-18-6] Handbook 1979, p. 6-18.

[MAA-7] Jurado, Carlos Caballero; Thomas, Nigel (1990). Central American Wars 1959–89. Men-at-Arms. Osprey Publishing. p. 37. ISBN 9780850459456.

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