Air Force delivers first EA-37 electronic combat aircraft to base

The Air Force's first operational EA-37 Compass Call aircraft flew into Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona last week, marking the beginning of a major modernization of the Air Force's electronic warfare fleet.

Air Combat Command chief Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach, 16th Air Force commander Lt. Gen. Thomas Hensley and 55th Wing commander Col. Mark Howard all flew on the new aircraft to deliver it to its new location on Aug. 23, calling its arrival a key moment for the Air Force.

“The EA-37B is the right choice right now because as we continue to move toward great power competition, we have adversaries developing long-range kill chain ecosystems and anti-access area denial capabilities,” Hensley said in a statement. “Compass Call allows us to do things in both the non-kinetic and electromagnetic spectrum that give us an advantage, not them.”

The EA-37 replaces the EC-130H Compass Call, which is aging and struggling – at the end of fiscal year 2023, there were only six aircraft left in the fleet, with an average age of 49 years and a serviceability of just 33 percent. Since then, another aircraft has been retired, leaving just five.

“The EC-130 has served its purpose for years, but this new airframe and its delivery means we face a combat-capable threat,” Howard said.

The mission hardware of the EA-37 is based on a Gulfstream G550 business jet modified by L3Harris, the mission hardware is built by BAE. The first jet was delivered to the Air Force for testing in September 2023.

The new aircraft will be capable of jamming radars, electronic systems and communications systems. The aircraft will also play a role in the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) mission by disrupting the enemy's ability to coordinate sensors and command and control weapons batteries targeting friendly aircraft.

In addition, it will have a higher speed and altitude than the EC-130: the EA-37B can fly at an altitude of 40,000 feet and 600 knots, while the EC-130 only reaches a maximum altitude of 25,000 feet and 300 knots.

At Davis-Monthan, the first aircraft will initially be used for pilot training, with another aircraft scheduled to arrive before the end of the year and five more in 2025. In total, the flight service plans to purchase ten of the new aircraft.

Air Combat Command's first EA-37B Compass Call, aircraft 19-5591, will be delivered to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, on Aug. 23, 2024. The aircraft ensures the joint force's military advantage in the electromagnetic battlespace and builds a more lethal force by modernizing electromagnetic attack capabilities to suppress the tactical networks and information ecosystems of peer competitors. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Paige Weldon)

U.S. Air Force Gen. Ken Wilsbach, commander of Air Combat Command, delivers ACC's first EA-37B Compass Call, aircraft 19-5591, to Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, on Aug. 23, 2024. The aircraft will give Soldiers of the 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron their first opportunity to begin planning and training pilot missions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Paige Weldon)

Leaders from the 55th Squadron, 55th Electronic Combat Group, 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron stand ready to receive Air Combat Command's first EA-37B Compass Call aircraft during a delivery ceremony at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, Aug. 23, 2024. The EA-37B is a wide-area airborne electromagnetic attack weapon system that uses a heavily modified version of the Gulfstream G550 airframe. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Paige Weldon)

This is all part of a series of changes to both the Air Force's electronic warfare capabilities and Davis-Monthan's assets.

Since the EF-111 was retired in the late 1990s, the service's electronic attack capabilities have declined. The creation of the 350th Spectrum Warfare Wing several years ago reignited the focus on electronic warfare, and the new aircraft will add a new airborne element at a time when leadership says electronic warfare is becoming increasingly important.

Meanwhile, Davis-Monthan is transitioning from aging platforms like the EC-130, HH-60G and A-10 to new flying missions like the EA-37, HH-60W and a “power projection wing” for Air Force Special Operations Command. The service also established one of its first air task forces at the base last month.