Commander is a military rank used in many navies but not generally in armies or air forces. It is below Captain and above Lieutenant-Commander. The rank evolved in the 18th and early 19th centuries and was originally known as Master and Commander.

A commander in the Royal Navy is equivalent in rank to a lieutenant-colonel in the British Army.

A commander in the U.S. Navy commands a frigate, destroyer, submarine or shore installation and is second in command to a captain. A commander who commands a unit may be referred to as "Captain".

Sometimes the term kommandant or Commandant is used.

In the highest levels of U.S. military command structure, "commander" refers to what used to be called commander-in-chief, or CINC, until October 24, 2002 (CINC is still used in casual speech). This is usually referred to with the area of which the officer is commander. For instance, General Tommy Franks was CENTCOM commander until July 7, 2003.

British police rank

Commander is also a senior police rank in the United Kingdom. However it is only used by the two London police forces, the City of London Police, and the Metropolitan Police Service. It is senior to Chief Superintendent and junior to Deputy Assistant Commissioner (in the Metropolitan Police) or Assistant Commissioner (in the City of London Police).

American police rank

The San Francisco police department is one of the few American police departments which use this rank. A Commander in the SFPD is equivalent to an Inspector in other US departments (such as the NYPD); the SFPD rank was originally called Inspector as well, but was changed to Commander after senior officers voiced a preference for the more military-sounding rank.

In fiction

• The fictional James Bond holds the rank of Commander in the Royal Navy.
• In Star Trek, Spock, William T. Riker, Deanna Troi, Beverly Crusher, and many secondary characters have held the rank of Commander in Starfleet. Chakotay, though called "commander", was actually a Lieutenant Commander.
• The book and subsequent Hollywood film Master and Commander.

See also

• Comparative military ranks
• U.S. Navy Officer Rank Insignia