Major general major-general was reintroduced in the Portuguese Army, Air Force and National Republican Guard in 1999, replacing the former rank of brigadier in the role of brigade commander. As a rank, it had previously been used in the Army only for a brief period (from 1862 to 1864). It is equivalent to the rank of "contra-almirante" (rear-admiral) in the Portuguese Navy. In 2015, the rank of major-general was moved up one level, with the role of brigade commander being assumed by the below rank of brigadier-general. In most of the 19th and first half of the 20th century, major-general was not
Major general used as a rank in the Portuguese military, but as an appointment title conferred to the general officer that acted as the military head of a service branch. The roles of Major-General of the Navy ("Major-General da Armada") and Major-General of the Army ("Major-General do Exército") became extinct in 1950, with their roles being unified in the then created Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. In the Russian Army, the rank "Major general" is known as "Генера́л-майо́р". In Somalia, major general is used within the Somali Armed Forces (SAF) for the highest-ranking military official. In Sweden, the