Lieutenant general (Pakistan) Lieutenant general (Pakistan) Pakistan Army has followed British Army rank system since its independence from British Empire in 1947. However, the crown in the ranks has been replaced with a star and crescent, which symbolizes the sovereignty of Government of Pakistan. A Lieutenant general in the Pakistan Army is equivalent to a Federal Secretary in the civil service, a vice admiral in the Pakistan Navy and an air marshal in the Pakistan Air Force. A lieutenant general is also called a three-star general. Like other armies, this rank is higher than a major general and lower than a full general.
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.