Air commodore (abbreviated as Air Cdre in the RAF, and PAF; Air Cmde in the IAF, AIR CDRE in the RNZAF and RAAF) is a one-star rank , very senior Flag Officer Rank and at the beginning of the air officer ranks which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence such as Zimbabwe, and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. The name of the rank is always the full phrase and is never shortened to commodore, which is a rank in various naval forces.