In Air Force Commander the player takes command of a Middle Eastern country's air force to gain air superiority over the enemy. Like the title suggests this game focuses solely on aircraft and rocket bases. The main part of the game is spent on the overhead map where the player gives orders to his units, e. g. attacking ground targets and scouting or intercepting enemy forces. Different map views show information like targets in range, flight movements in the monitored zones or civil facilities. Another important aspect of the game is resource management: every base and unit cost resources. If these get scarce the player can shut down some bases. If the public mood gets too bad, e. g. because of destroyed civil facilities or food shortage, the player loses his commission and therefore the game.