Organization
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The organizational structures of air forces vary between nations: some air forces (such as the United States Air Force, the Royal Air Force) are divided into commands, groups and squadrons; others (such as the Soviet Air Force) have an Army-style organizational structure. The modern Canadian Forces Air Command uses Air Division as the formation between wings and the entire air command. Like the RAF, Canadian wings consist of squadrons. In the case of China the Air Force headquarters consists of four departments: Command, Political, Logistic, and Equipment, which mirrors the four general departments of the People's Liberation Army. Below the headquarters, Military Region Air Forces (MRAF) direct divisions (Fighter, Attack, Bomber), which in turn direct regiments and squadrons.
| Symbol (for Army structure comparison) | Unit Name (USAF/RAF/Other air forces) | No. of personnel | No. of aircraft | No. of subordinate units (USAF/RAF) | Officer in command (USAF/RAF) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XXXXXX + | Air Force/ Russian Air army | Entire air force | Entire air force | All Major Commands / Commands | Gen / MRAF or Air Chf Mshl |
| XXXXX | Major Command / Command or Tactical Air Force / Russian aviation corps | Varies | Varies | By Region or Duty (subordinate units varies) | Gen / Air Chf Mshl or Air Mshl |
| XX | Numbered Air Force / No RAF Equivalent / Aviation Division /Air Division / Air Brigade | By Region (subordinate units varies) | Varies | 2+ Wing / Groups | Maj-Gen / N/A |
| X | Wing / Group (inc. EAGs) / Russian aviation regiments | 1,000–5000 | 48–100 | 2+ Groups / Wings | Brig-Gen / AVM or Air Cdre |
| III | Group / Wing (inc. EAWs) or Station | 300–1,000 | 17–48 | 3–10 Squadrons / 3–4 Squadrons | Col / Gp Capt or Wg Cdr |
| II | Squadron | 100–300 | 7–16 | 3–4 Flights | Lt Col or Maj / Wg Cdr or Sqn Ldr |
| ••• | Flight | 20–100 | 4–6 | 2 Sections plus maintenance and support crew | Capt / Sqn Ldr or Flt Lt |
| •• | Element or Section | 5–20 | n/a | Junior Officer or Senior NCO | |
| • | Detail | 2–4 | n/a | Junior NCO |
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