The United States Air Force has received the much-anticipated EC-37B Compass Call electronic warfare aircraft, delivered by a collaborative effort between renowned contractors BAE Systems and L3Harris Technologies, according to a September 12 announcement.
The new EC-37B fleet is poised to replace the aging EC-130 aircraft, long-serving workhorses in the Air Combat Command, which are now being phased out.
“The delivery of the first EC-37B Compass Call is a major milestone for our customer’s electromagnetic attack capabilities,” said Dave Harrold, Vice President and General Manager of Countermeasure & Electromagnetic Attack, BAE Systems. “We take pride in delivering this critical EW capability to keep the US at the vanguard for defense and deterrence,” he added.
BAE Systems built the electronic attack parts of the Compass Call in Hudson, New Hampshire, while L3Harris put together the mission-specific gear into a Gulfstream G550 business jet at their facility in Waco, Texas.
“Our team accomplished the incredible challenge of migrating the Compass Call mission equipment from the much larger EC-130H and fully integrating it into the Gulfstream G550 platform,” said Jason Lambert, President of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, L3Harris. “As the Air Force sunsets its 40-year-old EC-130H fleet, the cutting-edge EC-37B will empower the customer to continue serving its vital electromagnetic warfare mission for generations to come.”
In an official release, BAE Systems disclosed that the next phase for the Air Force involves commencing combined developmental and operational testing for the Compass Call, which marks the initiation of a program to introduce ten of these aircraft into the Air Force’s arsenal.
Key operations of the Compass Call
The EC-37B Compass Call’s primary mission involves conducting a spectrum of electronic warfare operations aimed at disrupting enemy signals, including communication, radar, and navigation systems.
A noteworthy aspect of this endeavor is the suppression of enemy air defenses by obstructing their ability to transmit information between weapon systems and command-and-control networks.
During a roundtable discussion at the Air and Space Forces Association’s Air Space and Cyber conference, Gen. Mark Kelly, the ACC Commander, highlighted the EC-37B’s jamming capabilities. He emphasized that these capabilities would not only protect friendly ships and aircraft from enemy attacks but also enable them to approach their targets more closely.
While Gen. Kelly noted that the EC-37B’s mission and capabilities aren’t drastically different from the EC-130, he highlighted the considerable improvements in altitude and speed. The EC-130 has a ceiling of 25,000 feet and can reach speeds of up to 300 miles per hour. In contrast, the EC-37B, based on the G550 platform, can operate at altitudes surpassing 40,000 feet and achieve nearly twice the speed. This enhanced performance equips the EC-37B to target a broader range of enemy activities effectively.
Gen. Kelly emphasized that the testing phase for the EC-37B would primarily focus on ensuring the seamless integration of its mission systems. This includes ensuring that the various systems within the Compass Call communicate effectively and that its jamming capabilities operate smoothly without putting undue strain on the aircraft’s environmental systems.