It was raised in Jodhpur in July 1980 from the No.1 Operations Group of the Western Air Command.

Its operations sector includes most of Rajasthan, through Gujarat and Saurashtra, as far south as Kutch and Pune.

The SWAC moved to its current headquarters in Gandhinagar in May 1998, and incorporates the Indian airbases of Bhuj, Jaisalmer, Phalodi, Naliya, Jamnagar, Jodhpur, Uttarlai/Barmer and Pune.

It also operates the forward airbases at Vadodara, Nal and Suratgarh.

The SWAC's role has historically been largely of air defence, although it has been reported to have incorporated a strike profile.