Commodore is a naval rank.
Commodore ( Cmdre ) is the lowest flag officer rank in the Royal Canadian Navy of the Canadian Forces . Commodore (Royal Navy) . Commodore ( Cdre ) is a rank of the Royal Navy above captain and below rear admiral . Commodore (United States) . Today , it is no longer a rank , but it continues to be used as an honorary title within the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard for those senior captains ( pay grade O-6 ) in command of operational organizations composed of multiple independent subordinate naval units ( e.g. , multiple independent ships or aviation squadrons ) . Commodore is a naval rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain , but below a rear admiral . As an official rank , a commodore typically commands a flotilla or squadron of ships as part of a larger task force or naval fleet commanded by an admiral .