The US Air Force – Air Combat Command has received its first EA-37B Compass Call wide-area airborne electromagnetic attack system at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona.
The aircraft was developed in partnership with L3Harris and BAE systems to modernize the command’s electronic warfare capabilities for international contingency missions.
Up to 10 Compass Call planes will be delivered for the project, each based on the Gulfstream G550 business jet.
The Air Combat Command is scheduled to receive the second EA-37B at Davis-Monthan AFB before the year’s end.
“The EA-37B is the right choice right now because as we continue to pivot toward Great Power Competition, we have adversaries that are developing long-range kill chain ecosystems and anti-access area denial capabilities,” 16th Air Force Commander Lt. Gen. Thomas Hensley commented on the delivery.
“The Compass Call will allow us to do things in the non-kinetic spectrum as well as the electromagnetic spectrum to give us the advantage and not them.”
Replacing Older EC-130 System
The air force’s future EA-37Bs will replace its legacy EC-130 Compass Call employed in the 1980s. Nine of the 14 EC-130s have been decommissioned to date.
As the deliveries continue, the initial aircraft in Arizona will be used to prepare aircrews for the incoming operations.
“The EC-130 has served its purpose for years, but this new airframe and its delivery mean that we have a combat-credible threat,” 55th Wing Commander Col. Mark Howard stated.
“The EA-37B, with its increased range, speed and agility, will allow Airmen onboard the aircraft to make real-time, adaptive, agile decisions for airpower.”
The New Compass Call Aircraft
The EA-37B has a wingspan of 93.6 feet (28.5 meters) and measures 96.5 feet (29.4 meters) long.
It is powered by twin Rolls Royce BR700 engines for a top speed of 767 miles (1,234 kilometers) per hour and a range of 4,410 nautical miles (8,167 kilometers/5,075 miles).
The electronic attack aircraft has a service ceiling of 45,000 feet (13,716 meters) and can accommodate up to nine personnel.