Group Captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above Wing Commander and immediately below Air Commodore. The name of the rank is the complete phrase, and is never shortened to "Captain."

It has a NATO ranking code of OF-5, and is equivalent to a Captain in the Royal Navy or a Colonel in the British Army or the Royal Marines.

In the early years of the RAF, the name of the rank which commanded a group was specified as Group Captain. Since the Second World War, this rank has typically been that of the commander of an air base.

The rank insignia is based on the four gold bands of Captains in many world navies, comprising four narrow light blue bands over slightly wider black bands. This is worn on both the lower sleeves of the tunic or on the shoulders of the flying suit or the casual uniform.

The Command Flag for a Group Captain is similar to the one for a Wing Commander except that there is one broad red band in the center. Only the Wing Commander and Group Captain command flag are triangular in shape.

See also

Comparative military ranks