Commands of Indian Air Force

In this article we have discussed commands of Indian Air Force. Under the guidance of Chief of Air Staff, Headquartered at New Delhi, Indian Air Force is organized into seven commands. These commands are divided into operational and functional commands, each with a specific area of focus and responsibility. Each of the 7 IAF commands (5 operational and 2 functional commands) have several Stations and units under them.

You can remember all commands of the Indian Air Force with their respective headquarters. This might be helpful for you during your NDA Exam and other Defence exams.

Indian Air Force Commands

S. No.	Indian Air Force Command	Headquarter
1.	Eastern Air Command	Shillong, Meghalaya
2.	Western Air Command	Delhi
3.	Southern Air Command	Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
4.	Central Air Command	Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh
5.	South Western Air Command	Gandhinagar, Gujarat
6.	Indian Air Force Training Air Command	Bengaluru, Karnataka
7.	Indian Air Force Maintenance Command	Nagpur, Maharashtra

1. Eastern Command: Eastern Air Command (EAC) controls air operations over a vast area that straddles 12 states. It includes the seven north eastern states, Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar and parts of Orissa and Jharkhand. The area of responsibility includes a 6300 km long international boundary with China, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh.

2. Western Air Command: The Western Command of the Indian Air Force was established as the first Operational Group on 27th of September in 1947. It was later redesignated as the Operations Command in the year 1949. This Command was again renamed as the Western Air Command or WAC immediately after the Central Air Command or CAC was raised in 1962. The Western Air command is the most important of the 5 Operational Commands of the Indian Air Force. The Western Air Command oversees air operations in regions north of Jaipur, the capital, Punjab and the region between South Kashmir and Rajasthan.

3. Southern Air Command: This fully fledged Operational Air Command was established on 19 July 1984. It covers the geopolitical area of peninsular India extending to 18 degree N including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and Lakshadweep islands in the Arabian Sea. It’s headquarter was moved from Belhaven Palace to Akkulam (Thiruvananthpuram) on 8^th August 1996.

4. Central Air Command: The Central Air Command was the 2^nd Air Command of the Indian Air Force was initially raised in Rani Kutir, Calcutta. Later it was shifted from Calcutta to Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. The Central Air Command features permanent Air Bases at Kanpur, Agra, Nagpur, Gorakhpur, Gwalior, Allahabad and Bareilly.

5. South Western Air Command: South Western Air Command was established on 21 September 1972, it was subsequently rechristened as the South Western Air Command on 23 July 1980. This command covers the southwestern region of India. It plays a crucial role in protecting the airspace over western India.

6. Indian Air Force Training Air Command: Training Command was set up immediately after Independence. Training Group was redesignated as Training Command in 1949. Although its headquarters is located at Bangalore, most of the flying and ground training establishments are located in central and southern India.

7. Indian Air Force Maintenance Air Command: Initially Maintenance Group was formed at Chakeri, Kanpur in 1950. Later it was redesignated as the Maintenance Command in 1955 and moved to Nagpur, Maharashtra. The primary responsibilities of this command are maintenance, repair, product support, overhaul of aircrafts and associated equipment, storage and issue of spare parts for aircrafts and their respective variants.

Also Read:

Commands of Indian Army

Military Exercises in 2024

Important Links:

Attempt NDA GAT Mock Test (Free) – in Mobile App

Read complete information about SSB Interview Procedure.

For previous years question paper: Click Here