REPUBLIC OF ESTONIA

CURRENT MILITARY & NAVAL ENSIGNS & FLAGS

The national flag of Estonia is a horizontal tricolor of blue, black and white. It was first adopted after Estonia achieved independence from Russia in 1919-20, but was abolished in 1940 when the country was annexed by the USSR. After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1990 Estonia regained its independence and the national flag was restored. The current Estonian naval ensign, which was also used between 1920 and 1940, is a swallow-tailed variant of the national flag, with the national coat of arms added. The naval jack is based on the Russian jack, with a field and crosses in the national colors. The naval commissioning pennant is white with the national flag at the hoist. The service flag and ensign of the Border Guard is the national flag with a yellow-bordered green triangle at the hoist. The initials P.V. stand for "Border Guard" in Estonian. The ceremonial color of the Defense Forces is a banner of the state arms, while that of the Land Forces (Army) displays the branch badge. Estonian military and naval appointment and rank flags mostly display the shield of the national coat of arms. The flag of the Minister of Defense is the national flag with the shield added, but other rank and appointment flags are light blue and white with yellow stripes to denote the exact rank, and a forked fly. Only one full general serves on active duty at any time, appointed as commander-in-chief. The naval command pennants do not display the shield of the arms. Flag Proportions: The Estonian national flag's official proportions are 7:11, and the naval ensign's proportions are 4:7. The naval jack and most rank flags also have 7:11 proportions, but the three two naval command pennants are proportioned similarly to the naval ensign. Adoption Dates: The Estonian national flag, naval ensign and jack were officially adopted in 1990. The naval and military rank and appointment flags were introduced over the next few years as the structure of the armed forces was finalized. Image Added November 2017 Estonian Land Forces Ceremonial Color