Captain (naval)

	Common Naval Ranks of the World
Flag Officers:
	Admiral of the Fleet • Fleet Admiral; Admiral; Squadron Admiral • Squadron Vice-Admiral; Vice-Admiral; Rear Admiral; Commodore;
Senior Officers:
	Captain • Ship-of-the-Line Captain; Captain of Sea and War • Captain at Sea; Commander • Frigate Captain; Lieutenant-Commander • Corvette Captain;
Junior Officers:
	Lieutenant • Ship-of-the-Line Lieutenant; Sub-Lieutenant • Frigate Lieutenant; Ensign • Ship-of-the-Line Ensign; Corvette Lieutenant;
Midshipman

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This article is about rank of captain in navies. For information about other uses of the word "captain", see captain (disambiguation).

Common military ranks
Officers
Navies	Armies	Air forces
Admiral of the Fleet	Field Marshal	Marshal of the Air Force
Admiral	General	Air Marshal
Commodore	Brigadier	Air Commodore
Captain	Colonel	Group Captain
Commander	Lt. Colonel	Wing Commander
Lt. Commander	Major	Squadron Leader
Lieutenant	Captain	Flight Lieutenant
Sub-Lieutenant	Lieutenant	Flying Officer
Seamen, soldiers and airmen
Warrant Officer	Sergeant Major	Warrant Officer
Petty Officer	Sergeant	Sergeant
Leading Rate	Corporal	Corporal
Seaman	Private	Aircraftman

Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel.

The equivalent rank in many navies is Ship-of-the-Line Captain. Other equivalent ranks in other navies notably include Captain of Sea and War or Captain at Sea.

[edit] Role

The command of a ship is most often given to the naval rank (equivalent to a commissioned officer between commander (OF-4) and commodore or rear admiral (OF-6)). The Polish Navy is, however, a notable exception naval captain in position of Lieutenant or Captain Lieutenant and OF-5 rank being a "commander" (komandor). The naval rank should not be confused with the army, air force or marine rank of captain, which has a NATO code of OF-2.

[edit] Title

Any naval officer who commands a ship is addressed as "captain" while aboard that ship, by naval custom. A naval officer with the rank of captain traveling aboard a vessel he does not command is either never referred to by rank or, in some navies, is addressed as Commodore to avoid confusion with the ship's commander. The commanding officer of a naval vessel cannot be overridden, even by officers higher in rank (such as Admirals), in matters of directing the ship's operations.

Throughout the Middle Ages the Navy was an ad-hoc group of ships contracted for the duration of a given conflict and disbanded thereafter. The ship's Master, who would command the ship during peacetime, would also remain in control of all things nautical during wartime. The Captain was merely the commander of the embarked infantry contingent upon the ship who, with the help of his lieutenants, would act as the agent of the king—and hence de facto commander—while the ship was contracted with the Navy. During Tudor times, the title of Captain began to refer to the commander of a ship of the Royal Navy, once that organization became established and maintained a standing fleet.

[edit] Commands

Captains with sea commands generally command ships of cruiser size or larger, while Naval Aviator and Naval Flight Officer Captains in the U.S. Navy command aircraft carriers, large-deck amphibious assault ships, carrier air wings, maritime patrol air wings and functional and specialized air wings and air groups. The more senior the officer, the larger the ship, but ship commanders do not normally hold a higher rank than captain.

Rear Admirals will normally embark on large capital ships such as aircraft carriers, which will function as the flagship for their strike group or battle group, but a Captain will retain command of the actual ship. Even when a senior officer who is in the ship's captain's chain of command is present, all orders are given through the captain as a courtesy. Many captains hold shore commands and staff positions afloat and ashore.