Flag officer

A flag officer is a commissioned officer in a nation's armed forces senior enough to be entitled to fly a flag to mark the position from which that officer exercises command.

Different countries use the term "flag officer" in different ways:

• In many countries, a flag officer is a senior officer of the navy, specifically one holding any of the admiral ranks; the term may or may not include the rank of commodore.
• In some countries, such as the United States, India, and Bangladesh, the designation may apply in all armed forces, not just in the navy. This means generals can also be considered flag officers.
• In most Arab armies, liwa (Arabic: لواء), which can be translated as "flag officer", is a specific rank, equivalent to a major general. However, "ensign" is debatably a more exact literal translation of the word. In principle, a liwa commands several units called "flags" or "ensigns" (i.e. brigades, also called liwa).
• Russian navies refer to the approximate equivalent of a British Royal Navy flag officer as a flagman (флагман).^[1] Before the formation of the Soviet Navy in 1918, the Imperial Russian Navy also had officers with the function of a flag-ofitser (флаг-офицер), subordinate to a flagman and especially charged with adjutant duties and signals.^[2]