Airmen this month conducted the first mission training sortie for the new EA-37B Compass Call, a milestone for the adoption of the Air Force’s new electronic attack aircraft.
The training flight was carried out May 2 by the 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, the service said.
“This EA-37B mission culminates years of planning and coordination between thousands of people spanning many organizations,” squadron commander Lt. Col. Tray Wood said. “The hard work and dedication of these groups ensure the [55th] Electronic Combat Group is prepared for future conflict with the 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron leading developments in the electromagnetic spectrum.”
The EA-37B is a heavily adapted Gulfstream G550 business jet designed to conduct electronic warfare operations to support U.S. and allied forces. It is slated to replace the service’s aging fleet of EC-130H Compass Call aircraft.
The aircraft is loaded with classified equipment that can jam enemy communications, radar and navigation signals. It can also defuse roadside bombs wirelessly and block enemy air defenses from transmitting information between sensors, control networks and weapons, which will allow U.S. and partner aircraft to get closer to their targets.
The Air Force plans to buy 10 EA-37Bs from BAE Systems and L3Harris, half of which have so far been delivered. The companies, which are co-prime contractors on the plane, expect to deliver the final five in 2027 and 2028.
The first EA-37B was delivered to Davis-Monthan in August 2024 to begin pilot training.
“The EA-37B and the professionals who support its mission represent the most recent evolution in a long history of [electromagnetic spectrum] dominance for the” 55th Electronic Combat Group, said Lt. Col. Jesse Szweda, the squadron’s director of operations. “The capabilities of this platform are the cornerstone to addressing emerging threats in any [area of responsibility] at any time.”
The electronic attack equipment for the new Compass Calls are built by BAE, and then integrated into the G550 jets at L3Harris’ facility in Waco, Texas. The G550s’ outer mold lines are modified to make room for the equipment at Gulfstream’s facility in Savannah, Georgia.
The service has so far retired 10 of its 14 EC-130Hs, which were flown frequently during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
The older Compass Calls were modified C-130Hs, some of which date back to the Vietnam War. The new EA-37Bs will fly 40% faster than the older models and have twice the range, and be able to fly nearly 15,000 feet higher, L3Harris said in April.
By creating the new Compass Calls out of modern, commercial derivative aircraft, the prime contractors expect the Air Force will be able to obtain spare parts and sustain it more easily.
Stephen Losey is the air warfare reporter for Defense News. He previously covered leadership and personnel issues at Air Force Times, and the Pentagon, special operations and air warfare at Military.com. He has traveled to the Middle East to cover U.S. Air Force operations.
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