Lieutenant Commander

Lieutenant Commander (Lieutenant-Commander in the Royal Navy)cite web | title = Uniforms and Badges of Rank | work = | publisher = U.K. Secretary of State for Defence | date = 2006 | url = http://www.royal-navy.mod.uk/server/show/nav.3761 | format = Web | doi = | accessdate = 2007-07-19 ] is a commissioned officer rank in many navies superior to a Lieutenant and subordinate to a Commander. The corresponding rank in most armies, (armed services) and air forces is Major, and in the Royal Air Force and other Commonwealth air forces is Squadron Leader also.

A Lieutenant Commander is a senior department officer on a large ship or shore installation. They may also be commanding officer or executive officer (second-in-command) of a smaller ship or installation.

Origins

Lieutenants were commonly put in command of smaller vessels not warranting a Commander or Captain: such a Lieutenant was called a "Lieutenant Commanding" or "Lieutenant Commandant" in the United States Navy, and a "Lieutenant in Command" or "Lieutenant and Commander" in the Royal Navy. The USN settled on "Lieutenant Commander" in 1862, and made it a distinct rank; the RN followed suit in March 1914.

United Kingdom

Royal Navy

The insignia worn by a Royal Navy Lieutenant-Commander (Lt Cdr) is two medium gold braid stripes with one thin gold stripe running in between, placed upon a navy blue/black background. The top stripe has the ubiquitous loop used in all RN officer rank insignia. The RAF follows this pattern with its equivalent rank of Squadron Leader.

Having fewer officer ranks than the army, the RN previously split some of its ranks by seniority (time in rank) to provide equivalence: hence a Lieutenant with fewer than eight years' seniority wore two stripes, and ranked with an army Captain; a Lieutenant of eight years or more wore two stripes with a thinner one in between, and ranked with a Major. This distinction was abolished when the rank of Lieutenant-Commander was introduced, the new rank taking the insignia and army equivalence of a senior Lieutenant.

Similar insignia is worn by Lieutenant-Commanders in other Commonwealth navies, such as the Royal Australian Navy (which uses the abbreviation "LCDR"), the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Canadian Forces Maritime Command (formerly the Royal Canadian Navy; which uses the abbreviation "LCdr"). Unlike the United States Navy, personnel in the Royal Navy or other Commonwealth Navies addressing a Lieutenant-Commander do not abbreviate the rank to "Commander."

Royal Observer Corps

Throughout much of its existance, the Royal Observer Corps maintained a rank of Observer Lieutenant Commander. The rank insignia was similar to that of an RAF squadron leader except that the stripes were shown entirely in black.

Canada

United States

Russia

The corresponding rank to Lieutenant Commander is Captain 3rd Rank.

References