Commodore is only a land rank.
Air commodore ( abbreviated as Air Cdre in the RAF , IAF and PAF ; AIRCDRE in the RNZAF and RAAF ) is a one-star rank and the most junior general rank of the air-officer which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force . Commodore ( Cmdre ) is the lowest flag officer rank in the Royal Canadian Navy of the Canadian Forces . 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 . An officer of one-star rank is a senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO code of OF-6 .