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The Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force is the overall commander and senior general of the Philippine Air Force, the aerial warfare branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It is normally held by a three-star rank of Lieutenant General. The holder of the position has operational control and is responsible for overall operations of the service, and directly reports to the Chief of Staff of the armed forces.
The Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force serves as the overall head of the Philippine Army, where he/she has full operational control and command of the Air Force. Unlike its US-based counterpart, the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, the CGPAF has direct command oversight of the Air Force's activities, air operations, and administrative functions to all Air Force units, down from the Air Force's enlisted personnel, and up to the Air Force's different air wings, commands and tactical operation groups under its branch. The CGPAF directly reports all air operations, activities and functions to the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and serves as the primary advisor for the Secretary of National Defense in related matters. The CGPAF's command advices can also be directed and transmitted to the President of the Philippines, who serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The CGPAF is also tasked for the air force's resource management, maintenance checks, and is responsible for the command's training and readiness strategies through monitoring the air force's air defense systems, radar and detection facilities, and airbase development. The CGPAF also hosts and attend a variety international collaboration programs aimed to improve and increase ties of other air forces in the region, which fosters potential partnerships in future military exercises and even joint patrol missions in the country's airspace.
The CGPAF has full strategic operations command of the air force and does these tasks through their leadership strategic thrusts, aimed at guaranteeing that the air force can respond in addressing the command's needs through the command's programs such as the Air Force's modernization programs, capability and doctrine development measures, and addressing the professional and welfare programs of the command. The CGPAF is also responsible for managing the command's research & development-related objectives aimed to promote both innovation and safety in all air force planes and is also in charge in managing humanitarian assistance operations in times of disasters or calamities.
The CGPAF is directly assisted by two deputies, namely the Vice Commander, Philippine Air Force, who serves as the CGPAF's direct assistant in implementing the Air Force's action plans and operations, and the Chief of Air Staff. The Vice Commander also has the power to assist the CGPAF in their absence, while the Chief of Air Staff serves as the chief of the air force's organizational staff, which supervises the air force's administrative commands, joint staff commands, and civilian offices, and assures the CGPAF that the air force's operational commands run smoothly and efficiently.
The CGPAF is directly appointed by the President of the Philippines, who also has the power to end the fixed term of the CGPAF at their pleasure, and needs the consent and approval of the Commission on Appointments for both briefing and confirmation of their post through public hearings. The CGPAF's serves under a fixed-term length that lasts two years, which serves under the provisions and rules of Republic Act No. 11939, and can only be extended and approved in times of war and national emergencies with the approval of Congress.[2]
The following are the Commanding Generals/Chiefs of the Philippine Air Force since its foundation in 1947, with some generals commanding various units from the Philippine Army Air Corps until it was replaced by the Philippine Air Force in 1947.[3]