The RCAF is a partner with the United States Air Force in protecting continental airspace under the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).

The RCAF also provides all primary air resources to and is responsible for the National Search and Rescue Program.

[14]: 47 During the Second World War, the RCAF was a major contributor to the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and was involved in operations in the United Kingdom, Europe, the north Atlantic, North Africa, southern Asia, and with home defence.

Eight thousand, eight hundred and sixty-four Americans came north to volunteer for the RCAF and over 850 died in action.

[16] During World War II the RCAF was headquartered at a six-storey office building at 20-23 Lincoln's Inn Fields (built 1937), London.

Because of the rising Soviet threat to the security of Europe, Canada joined NATO in 1949, and the RCAF established No.

1 Air Division RCAF consisting of four wings with three fighter squadrons each, based in France and West Germany.

In 1957, Canada and the United States created the joint North American Air Defense Command (NORAD).

Aviation assets of the Royal Canadian Navy were combined with the RCAF Canadair CP-107 Argus long-range patrol aircraft under Maritime Command.

In the early 1990s, Canada provided a detachment of CF-18 Hornets for the air defence mission in Operation Desert Shield.

In the late 1990s, Air Command's CF-18 Hornets took part in the Operation Allied Force in Yugoslavia, and in the 2000s, AIRCOM was heavily involved in the Afghanistan War, transporting troops and assets to Kandahar.

Later in the decade-long war, AIRCOM set up a purpose-specific air wing, Joint Task Force Afghanistan Air Wing, equipped with several CH-146 Griffon and CH-147 Chinook helicopters, CC-130 Hercules, CU-161 Sperwer and leased CU-170 Heron UAVs in support of the Canadian Forces and ISAF mission.

[21] On 17 April 2014, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that Canada was dispatching six CF-18s and military personnel to assist NATO in operations in Eastern Europe.

[39][40] The Canadian Forces have leased aircraft from vendors to help transport troops and equipment from Canada and other locations in the past decade.

[77][78] Previously, a unique Canadian CF-35 variant was proposed that would differ from the F-35A by adding a drogue parachute and possibly an F-35B/C-style refuelling probe.

[91] Following the 2015 Federal Election the Liberal Party, whose campaign had included a pledge to cancel the F-35 procurement,[92] formed a new government and commenced an open competition to replace the existing CF-18 Hornet.

[93] On 19 December 2023, the Government of Canada announced that a contract was signed for 11 MQ-9B drones, 219 Hellfire missiles, and 12 Mk82 500-pound bombs in a deal worth $2.49 billion CAD.

Ten wings also include a Canadian Forces base along with other operational and support units.

The last air force officer who served as Chief of the Defence Staff was General Thomas J. Lawson, who was appointed to the position in 2012.

[106] A revival of the former rank titles of the RCAF did not occur, however, as such an extensive change was considered "too complicated and confusing".

On 5 July 1940, the RCAF was authorized to introduce the maple leaf into the roundel in place of the red centre.