Major general (officer rank in Latin America) for more information. In the Canadian Armed Forces, the rank of major-general (MGen) ("major-général" and "Mgén" in French) is both a Canadian Army and Royal Canadian Air Force rank equivalent to the Royal Canadian Navy's rank of rear-admiral. A major-general is a general officer, the equivalent of a naval flag officer. The major-general rank is senior to the ranks of brigadier-general and commodore, and junior to lieutenant-general and vice-admiral. Prior to 1968, the Air Force used the rank of air vice-marshal, instead. The rank insignia for a major-general in the Royal Canadian Air Force is
Brigadier general in the armies of most other NATO nations, brigadier general is the lowest of the general ranks, usually a brigade commander. In the Estonian military, the rank is called "Brigaadikindral". France uses the rank of "brigade general" ("général de brigade"). It formerly used the historic rank, until 1793, of "brigadier des armées" ("brigadier of the armies"). The rank contrasts with the French sub-officer rank of brigadier. As with all French general officers, a French brigade general is titled "general" without any implication that he is an army general; for instance General Charles de Gaulle never rose higher than brigade general.