The Commands of the Indian Air Force Explained

The Indian Air Force commands are the seven major formations into which the Indian Air Force (IAF) is organised for administration and operations: five operational commands (Western, South Western, Central, Eastern and Southern Air Commands) and two functional commands (Training Command and Maintenance Command). Each command is headed by an Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C) of the rank of Air Marshal and reports to Air Headquarters (Vayu Bhawan) in New Delhi, where the Chief of the Air Staff sits.

Understanding the Indian Air Force commands helps explain how the service divides geography, responsibilities and resources between the northern, western, eastern and southern theatres, and how training and maintenance are supported behind the scenes. This explainer sets out the role of each command, its headquarters and broad area of responsibility, and how commands relate to wings, stations and squadrons. It uses public information only. 9 October 2026

Key Takeaways

• The Indian Air Force is organised into seven commands: five operational commands and two functional commands.
• The five operational commands of the Indian Air Force are Western Air Command, South Western Air Command, Central Air Command, Eastern Air Command and Southern Air Command.
• The two functional commands of the IAF are Training Command, headquartered in Bengaluru, and Maintenance Command, headquartered in Nagpur.
• Each Indian Air Force command is led by an Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, who holds the rank of Air Marshal and reports to the Chief of the Air Staff.
• Western Air Command is headquartered in New Delhi, South Western Air Command in Gandhinagar, Central Air Command in Prayagraj, Eastern Air Command in Shillong and Southern Air Command in Thiruvananthapuram.
• Commands are the large geographic or functional formations of the IAF, whereas wings and squadrons are smaller units that actually hold the aircraft and personnel for flying tasks.

What are the commands of the Indian Air Force?

The commands of the Indian Air Force are the seven senior formations that divide the service’s responsibilities, namely Western Air Command, South Western Air Command, Central Air Command, Eastern Air Command, Southern Air Command, Training Command and Maintenance Command. Together they cover the country’s airspace and support the force with trained people and serviceable equipment.

Five of the commands are operational and are responsible for air operations in designated regions. The remaining two are functional, which means that they are responsible for a function across the whole service rather than for a region. Air Headquarters in New Delhi provides policy and overall direction, and the commands carry out these directions in their areas.

Why is the Indian Air Force divided into commands?

The Indian Air Force is divided into commands because a single headquarters cannot directly manage hundreds of aircraft, bases and thousands of personnel spread over a very large country, so authority is delegated to regional and functional formations. The command structure allows each AOC-in-C to plan, coordinate and carry out operations in a defined area or function.

This arrangement follows a general principle of military organisation: keep policy and planning at the top, give operational control to formations that know the local terrain and threats, and manage specialist functions such as training and repair separately. It also helps in logistics, because bases and units of a region can be supported by the same command.

The structure has evolved over time. The earliest operational commands were created after Independence, and further commands were added as the force grew and the strategic picture changed.

What is the Western Air Command?

The Western Air Command (WAC) is the operational command of the IAF headquartered at Subroto Park in New Delhi, and it is responsible for the air defence and operations in the northern and north-western parts of the country. Its area covers regions such as Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, along with parts of neighbouring states.

WAC was formed on 1 April 1949 as one of the first operational commands of the independent Indian Air Force. It is among the largest and busiest commands, because it covers a long and sensitive stretch of the western and northern frontiers as well as the national capital region. It has responsibility for numerous airbases and for the air defence of the capital.

What is the South Western Air Command?

The South Western Air Command (SWAC) is the operational command of the IAF headquartered at Gandhinagar in Gujarat, and it is responsible for air operations along the south-western sector of the country. Its area includes Rajasthan, Gujarat and adjoining areas on the western side, including the Arabian Sea coastline.

SWAC was formed in 1980 to deal with the geography of the desert and coastal region on the western side. Its location near Gujarat’s capital allows it to coordinate closely with the Western Naval Command, the Army and the state administration. The command is important to the defence of the western seaboard and the desert areas.

What is the Central Air Command?

The Central Air Command (CAC) is the operational command of the IAF headquartered at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh, formerly known as Allahabad, and it covers the central part of the country. Its area includes the Indo-Gangetic plain and the central Indian states, along with part of the Himalayan region to the north.

CAC was formed in 1962. Because its region lies in the interior of the country, the command has an important role in the air defence of central India, the support of other commands and the training and deployment of transport and strike assets. Its headquarters in Prayagraj reflects the historical location of key IAF establishments in the area.

What is the Eastern Air Command?

The Eastern Air Command (EAC) is the operational command of the IAF headquartered at Shillong in Meghalaya, and it is responsible for air operations in the eastern and north-eastern sector. Its area includes the north-eastern states, West Bengal, Odisha and the eastern frontier, which is a region of mountains, rivers and long borders.

EAC was formed in the late 1950s, with its headquarters initially in Kolkata before moving to Shillong in the early 1960s. The command plays a major role in the defence of the eastern frontier, in the support of army operations in the north-east and in humanitarian and disaster-relief missions in a region prone to floods and landslides.

What is the Southern Air Command?

The Southern Air Command (SAC) is the operational command of the IAF headquartered at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, and it is responsible for the peninsular south and the surrounding maritime region. Its area includes the southern states and the Indian Ocean approaches, along with the island territories to the south and east in coordination with other forces.

SAC was formed in 1984, as the Indian Ocean and the maritime domain gained importance. The command works closely with the Indian Navy’s Southern Naval Command, which is also based in the same region, and it has a significant role in maritime surveillance, coastal air defence and support for naval aviation tasks.

What do Training Command and Maintenance Command do?

Training Command and Maintenance Command are the two functional commands of the IAF, with Training Command responsible for the training of aircrew, technicians and other personnel, and Maintenance Command responsible for the repair, overhaul and logistical support of aircraft and equipment. They do not hold a region of the country but serve the entire service.

Training Command

Training Command (TC) is headquartered at Bengaluru in Karnataka. It oversees the training establishments of the IAF, including the Air Force Academy at Dundigal near Hyderabad, where officers receive flying and ground training, and a network of flying and technical training institutions. It was established in the late 1950s.

Maintenance Command

Maintenance Command (MC) is headquartered at Nagpur in Maharashtra. It manages the depots and repair facilities that keep the IAF’s fleet and equipment serviceable, including base repair depots, equipment depots and related logistics establishments. Its work is essential to the readiness of the operational commands.

Because their responsibilities are functional, these two commands are led by their own AOC-in-C and are not tied to particular borders. They give the service continuity in people and machines, which are the foundation of air power.

Who leads an Indian Air Force command?

An Indian Air Force command is led by an Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C), who holds the rank of Air Marshal, a three-star rank, and who reports to the Chief of the Air Staff. The Chief of the Air Staff, who holds the rank of Air Chief Marshal, is the professional head of the IAF.

The AOC-in-C is responsible for the operational readiness, discipline, welfare and administration of the command. A command headquarters is organised into staff branches that deal with operations, planning, personnel, logistics, engineering, medical support and training. Appointments to these posts are made by the Government of India on the basis of seniority and merit.

• Chief of the Air Staff: Air Chief Marshal, heads the IAF.
• Vice Chief of the Air Staff: Air Marshal, deputy to the Chief at Air Headquarters.
• AOC-in-C: Air Marshal, heads each of the seven commands.

How do commands differ from wings and squadrons?

Commands differ from wings and squadrons in size and in function: a command is a large formation that controls many bases and units, while a squadron is the basic fighting unit that flies and maintains a specific type of aircraft, and a wing is a group of squadrons based at one station. This layered structure runs from Air Headquarters down to individual flights.

The IAF’s sanctioned strength has long been described as 42 fighter squadrons, though the actual number of squadrons in service has been lower in recent years. The numbers change as aircraft are retired and replaced, so they are best treated as approximate.

How do the commands fit into joint and theatre planning?

The IAF commands operate within a wider military system in which the three services cooperate through joint structures, and reform proposals, including the creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff in December 2019, have encouraged closer integration. The Andaman and Nicobar Command, set up in 2001, was India’s first joint services command and is not an IAF command.

Proposals for integrated theatre commands would group the assets of the Army, Navy and Air Force in a theatre under a single commander. The IAF has discussed how its air assets would be organised in such a model. These proposals have been subjects of public discussion, and any final shape of the system would be decided by the Government.

The existing command structure of the IAF therefore remains the basis of its organisation, and it works alongside the Army’s and Navy’s regional commands in practice.

Bottom Line

The seven commands of the Indian Air Force divide the country’s air responsibilities into five regional operational commands and two service-wide functional commands for training and maintenance. Each is led by an Air Marshal reporting to the Chief of the Air Staff, and below them lie the stations, wings and squadrons that carry out the daily work of flying and supporting aircraft.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many commands does the Indian Air Force have?

The Indian Air Force has seven commands. Five are operational commands and two are functional commands. They are headed by Air Marshals designated as Air Officers Commanding-in-Chief.

What are the names and headquarters of the IAF commands?

The IAF commands are Western Air Command (New Delhi), South Western Air Command (Gandhinagar), Central Air Command (Prayagraj), Eastern Air Command (Shillong), Southern Air Command (Thiruvananthapuram), Training Command (Bengaluru) and Maintenance Command (Nagpur). The first five are operational and the last two are functional. Air Headquarters, Vayu Bhawan, is in New Delhi.

Who heads an Indian Air Force command?

An Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C), who holds the rank of Air Marshal, heads each command. The AOC-in-C reports to the Chief of the Air Staff, who holds the rank of Air Chief Marshal. The Chief of the Air Staff is the head of the IAF.

What is the difference between operational and functional commands?

Operational commands are responsible for air operations and air defence in a defined geographic region, whereas functional commands are responsible for a specific function across the whole service. Western, South Western, Central, Eastern and Southern Air Commands are operational. Training Command and Maintenance Command are functional.

What is the difference between a command, a wing and a squadron?

A command is a large regional or functional formation, a wing is a group of squadrons and support units at a station, and a squadron is the basic flying unit with a set of aircraft. Commands sit above stations and wings in the chain of authority. A squadron is usually commanded by a Wing Commander.

Which IAF command looks after training and which looks after maintenance?

Training Command, headquartered in Bengaluru, looks after the training of aircrew, technicians and other personnel, including the Air Force Academy. Maintenance Command, headquartered in Nagpur, looks after repair, overhaul and logistical support of aircraft and equipment. Both serve the whole of the Indian Air Force rather than one region.

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