EA-37B / EC-37B Compass Call
As the Air Force's newest electromagnetic attack platform, the EA-37B will replace the legacy EC-130H as a more modern, and cost-effective, commercial derivative aircraft. Compass Call is a tactical airborne electromagnetic attack weapon system that denies, degrades and disrupts adversary command, control, communications, radars, and navigation systems to restrict enemy electromagnetic-based battlespace coordination. The weapon system neutralizes enemy air defenses by preventing the transmission of essential information between sensors, weapon systems and control networks. The Compass Call mission is to counter enemies’ command and control, computing, communications, combat systems, and intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting (C5ISRT) capabilities. Future mission system modernization efforts will enhance counter-C5ISRT operations and use software-defined radios and an open architecture to rapidly insert new capabilities to address evolving threats.
Air Combat Command received its first EA-37B Compass Call, aircraft 19-5591, for pilot training 23 August 2024, at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. Compass Call has provided attack capability on the EC-130H since 1981 and is now being cross-decked onto the new EC-37B platform. BAE Systems has provided the Compass Call mission systems for decades, continually evolving the technology to address modern threats and redesigning hardware for the cross-deck onto the smaller EA-37B airframe. BAE Systems serves as the mission system engineering, integration, and testing lead as well as the mission system prime contractor. The weapon system supports the suppression of enemy air defenses by preventing the transmission of essential information between adversaries, their weapon systems, and control networks, The fleet of 14 EC-130H Compass Call aircraft is being replaced with 10 modernized EA-37B aircraft. The modern EA-37B airframes will help the warfighter maintain mission readiness and provide improvements in speed, altitude, endurance, and survivability.
Air Combat Command’s EC-37B has been redesignated to become the EA-37B effective 27 October 2023. The EA-37B aircraft designation was selected to better identify the platform’s mission of finding, attacking and destroying enemy land or sea targets. One aircraft has been delivered to Air Force Materiel Command for development and operational testing. Delivery of the first EA-37B in ACC to the 55th Electronic Combat Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. is expected in 2024. Additionally, the aircraft will assume the popular name “Compass Call” in fiscal year 2026 or upon retirement of the EC-130H if earlier. To date, ACC had divested 9 of 14 EC-130Hs. The divested aircraft were stored at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group located at Davis-Monthan AFB.
The EA-37B is a wide-area airborne electromagnetic attack weapon system using a heavily modified version of the Gulfstream G550 airframe. The EA-37B sustains Joint Force military advantage in electromagnetic battlespace and builds a more lethal force by modernizing electromagnetic attack capabilities to deny peer competitors’ tactical networks and information ecosystems.
The EC-37B Compass Call is a wide-area airborne electronic attack weapon system using a heavily modified version of the Gulfstream G550 airframe. The EC-37B sustains Joint Force military advantage in the electromagnetic battlespace and builds a more lethal force by modernizing electromagnetic attack capabilities to deny peer competitors' tactical networks and information ecosystems. The system denies, degrades and disrupts adversary communications, information processing, navigation, radar systems and radio-controlled threats. The Compass Call system will employ offensive counter-information and electronic attack (EA) capabilities in support of U.S. and Coalition tactical air, surface and special operations forces.
The EC-37B aircraft carries a combat crew of up to nine people. The pilot and co-pilot are responsible for aircraft flight, while an additional seven members operate and employ the EA mission equipment permanently integrated into the cargo/ mission compartment. The mission crew can include the mission crew commander (electronic warfare officer), weapon system officer (electronic warfare officer), mission crew supervisor (an experienced cryptologic linguist), analysis operators (linguists), one acquisition operator and/or an airborne maintenance technician.
Compass Call is designed with System-Wide Open Reconfigurable Dynamic Architecture (SWORD-A) capabilities, which allow for rapid updates to adopt new capabilities and counter emerging technologies, tactics, techniques and procedures. Its adaptability is directly attributed to its spiral upgrade acquisition strategy which ensures the EC-37B can counter new, emergent communication technology.
The aircraft effectively jams communications, Early Warning/Acquisition radars and navigation systems during tactical air and ground operations.
A majority of the components found in the EC-37B Compass Call are classified modifications to the mission system that enhance precision and increase target capacity. The system was designed to incorporate options for “plug-and-play” quick reaction capabilities, which have historically allowed the program to counter unique high-profile threats. This flexibility allows the aircraft to keep pace with adversary use of emerging technology. It promotes enhanced crew proficiency and effectiveness, maintenance and sustainment with a common fleet configuration, new operator interfaces, increased reliability and better fault detection.
The aircraft’s communication capabilities have been improved with an expansion of satellite communication connectivity compatible with emerging DoD architectures, increased multi-asset coordination nets and upgraded data-link terminals. Improved external communications allow Compass Call crews to maintain situational awareness and connectivity in dynamic operational and tactical environments. Furthermore, modifications to the airframe provide improved aircraft performance and survivability.
The Compass Call integrates into tactical air operations at any level. The versatile and flexible nature of the aircraft and its crew enable the power of electronic combat to be brought to bear in virtually any combat situation.
Mission system prime BAE Systems produces the Compass Call Airborne Electromagnetic Attack mission system at its Hudson, New Hampshire facility. The system disrupts enemy communications, radars and navigation systems, and suppresses enemy air defenses by preventing the transmission of essential information between adversaries, weapon systems and command-and-control networks. Platform integration prime L3Harris integrated the EC-130H Compass Call mission system into a modern Gulfstream G550 business jet at its Waco, Texas aircraft missionization center. The EC-37B has increased speed, endurance and high-altitude operation for improved survivability and range to deliver EA effects.
As the platform integrator for the program, L3Harris is migrating, or cross decking, the existing legacy Compass Call EC-130H mission system onto the EC-37B. The G550 platform has increased speed, endurance and extended stand-off range over the legacy EC-130H aircraft – providing significantly improved survivability. The new platform will provide combatant commanders with improved stand-off jamming capability and flexibility to counter sophisticated communications and radar threats. The cross-deck initiative extends the Air Force’s critical electronic warfare mission for many years, while enabling it to outpace its adversaries and counter emerging technologies.
The G550’s superior reliability and sustainability mean that just 10 EC-37B aircraft provide equivalent EW capacity as the original high-demand 14 EC-130H aircraft fleet.
The Compass Call mission system disrupts enemy command and control communications and limits adversary coordination essential for enemy force management. The Compass Call system employs offensive counter-information and EW capabilities in support of U.S. and coalition tactical air, surface and special operations forces. It is part of the suppression of enemy air defense triad, and programmed upgrades expanded its mission by procuring a secondary EA capability against early warning and acquisition radars.
The Air Force’s Compass Call program has been in operation for 40 years. The highly-deployed EC-130H aircraft have served in every major U.S. contingency operation, and until recently, were continuously deployed to support U.S. Central Command. L3Harris’ Waco, Texas aircraft missionization facility has provided integration and depot-level maintenance services to the legacy Compass Call EH-130H fleet since 2003.
On Oct. 23, 2018, Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson approved Air Combat Command’s request to replace EC-130H Compass Call aircraft from the 55th Electronic Combat Group (ECG) located at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, with EC-37B aircraft. The basing decision memo was signed on Nov. 15, 2018. Since then, basing actions have been in place to successfully deliver the first set of re-hosted EC-37B and divest the EC-130H fleet. Emerging threats in multiple theatres and rising sustainment costs on the legacy EC-130H platform compelled the Air Force to re-host the Compass Call capability.
BAE Systems and L3Harris Technologies delivered the first of 10 EC-37B Compass Call aircraft to the U.S. Air Force 12 September 2023 for formal combined developmental and operational testing. The next-generation system evolves the Air Force’s 40-year mission of employing electromagnetic attack (EA) capabilities in support of U.S. and coalition air, surface, and special operations forces. “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, Countermeasure & Electromagnetic Attack, BAE Systems. “We take pride in delivering this critical EW capability to keep the U.S. at the vanguard for defense and deterrence.”
“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, 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.”
BAE Systems will provide advanced electromagnetic warfare (EW) mission systems for aircraft 7-10 in the U.S. Air Force’s growing fleet of EA-37B aircraft. The next-generation Baseline 4 mission systems will deliver powerful, long-range electromagnetic attack capabilities to disrupt and suppress the enemy’s use of the electromagnetic spectrum for communications, navigation, and air defense. “The EA-37B’s unique and exquisite EW capabilities make it a powerful asset for the U.S. Air Force and coalition forces,” said Duane Beaulieu, Compass Call technical director at BAE Systems. “As the EA-37B fleet comes on line, the Air Force will be better equipped to dominate the electromagnetic spectrum.”
The Air Force plans to procure up to 10 EC-37B aircraft. The U.S. Air Force may want to buy an additional 12 EC-37B Compass Call aircraft by BAE Systems and L3Harris Technologies [LHX] to counter threats in the Indo-Pacific. Congressional lawmakers are asking the Air Force whether it could field the aircraft.
Once acquired, all Compass Call aircraft will be assigned to Air Combat Command, and operated by the 55th ECG. The 55th ECG consists of two operational squadrons (41st and 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron (ECS)), a formal training unit (the 42nd ECS), the 755th Operations Support Squadron (OSS), and the 755th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (AMXS). The 55th ECG is a tenant unit of the 355th Wing at Davis-Monthan AFB. Although located at Davis-Monthan, the group reports to the 55th Wing at Offutt AFB, Nebraska.
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