The college conducts courses and programmes in the art of Joint Warfare, with special emphasis on employment of Air Power.
The current Commandant of the college is Air Vice Marshal Manish Khanna AVSM, VM The college was established on 1 July 1959 and was initially known as School of Land and Air Warfare (SLAW) situated at New Delhi.
After receiving the approval from the President of India, SLAW moved to its present location in Secunderabad on 25 July 1959.
It was renamed the "College of Air Warfare" in January 1976 after the IAF received sanction from the President on 9 November 1975.
The campus is situated about 1.5 km from the Secunderabad Junction railway station and the Begumpet Airport.