Operational Command is responsible for planning and commanding forces and assigned non-military elements during joint, peacekeeping, rescue and humanitarian operations as well as in anti-terrorist activities or during terrorist attack-disaster relief. It is also responsible for planning and commanding forces assigned for supporting state and local administration in case of non-military crises.

The Armed Forces Operational Command plans, organizes and conducts exercises and makes assessment of capability of forces and resources declared for conducting operations. It controls maintaining capabilities by the standby forces and resources and those assigned for fulfilling tasks abroad; realizes national command for them and supervises special operations. The Armed Forces Operational Command prepares necessary planning and organizational data pertaining to ensuring functioning of Air Defence System of the Republic of Poland and fulfilling tasks of the Minister of National Defence within border protection in the air space of the Republic of Poland.

During military crisis and war the Operational Command is an institution responsible for preparing the Command Post of the Chief Commander of the Armed Forces and realizes operational command of Armed Forces and non-military elements assigned to the subordination of the Commander on the basis of decision of Minister of National Defence for conducting joint defence operation.
At peacetime the Operational Command commands, through Air Operations Centre and Maritime Operations Centre, the forces and means assigned for combat stand by for border protection in the air space of the Republic of Poland, and for support for Border Guard Maritime Unit for protection of maritime territory.

Organizational structure of Operational Command includes: Operational Branch, Planning Branch and Support Branch.