Lieutenant (Royal Navy)

The Royal Navy officer rank above sub-lieutenant, NATO OF-2, equivalent to an army captain.

Overview

A Royal Navy lieutenant wears two gold rings on the sleeve and ranks equal to an army captain, one level higher than the identically named army rank. The rank is among the oldest in the service: in the age of sail, lieutenants were the commissioned deputies of a ship's captain and stood watches in command of the vessel. Samuel Pepys introduced an examination for lieutenants in 1677 to curb appointments by favor, a step toward a professional officer corps. Today lieutenants serve as heads of department, warfare officers, pilots, and engineers, and some command small vessels such as patrol boats. Traditional naval pronunciation drops the f sound heard in the army.