Summary USAF receives its first EA-37B Compass Call for pilot training at Davis-Monthan AFB. The aircraft will replace the aging EC-130H fleet, with a total of ten airframes ordered. The EA-37B boasts advanced electronic warfare capabilities utilizing a Gulfstream G550 airframe.
Air Combat Command (ACC) has taken delivery of its first EA-37B Compass Call electronic attack jet. The aircraft was delivered to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base last week for pilot training, with a second aircraft expected before the end of 2024. USAF EA-37B enters service According to a United States Air Force (USAF) statement, the EA-37B (aircraft 19-5591) arrived at David-Monthan AFB on August 23rd, marking the electronic warfare G550 derivative's official entry-to-service.
Boasting a sophisticated array of electronic capabilities, the next-generation jet is described as " a wide-area airborne electromagnetic attack weapon system " utilizing a heavily modified Gulfstream G550 business jet airframe. The plane has been assigned to the 55th Electronic Combat Group and will be flown by the 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron. Airmen will now have use of the latest Compass Call aircraft for training operations, with the EA-37B eventually replacing the aging EC-130H.
The newer aircraft will offer a higher service ceiling of 40,000ft, as well as double the speed at 600 knots. The new Gulfstream G550-based EA-37Bs are coming into service as the legacy EC-130H Hercules are retired. ACC Commander, Gen.
Ken Wilsbach, commented, "For a pilot, there is nothing better than picking up a brand-new aircraft from the factory and delivering it to the warfighters. For those of you who are going to get to fly it, it’s going to be amazing. We are on the cusp of delivering advanced capability, especially in electronic combat, and today is an exciting day for Air Combat Command.
" The USAF took delivery of the first jet back in September 2023 for testing - a second aircraft is due to enter service at Davis-Monthan before year-end, and five more planes will be delivered in 2025. 16th Air Force commander Lt. Gen.
Thomas Hensley noted that the aircraft's advanced EW capabilities will allow it " to do things in the non-kinetic spectrum as well as the electromagnetic spectrum " to give the US and its allies the advantage on the battlefield. EA-37B development The USAF has sought a replacement for its four-decade-old EC-130H Compass Call fleet, which has suffered from low mission capability rates and is presently down to five operational aircraft. According to Air and Space Forces , the EA-37B will retain approximately 70% of the EC-130s equipment but with significant improvements in speed, survivability and range.
Col. Mark Howard, 55th Wing commander, said, "The EC-130 has served its purpose for years, but this new airframe and its delivery mean that we have a combat-credible threat. 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.
" In 2017, a contract was granted to L3Harris Technologies to repurpose the Gulfstream G550s airframe for electronic warfare, featuring equipment built by BAE. The USAF has ordered a total of ten EA-37Bs in an age where electronic warfare grows increasingly fundamental to military operations - its capabilities will include disrupting enemy communications and jamming air defenses. Stealth and electronic warfare (EW) are not mutually exclusive.
But which one truly gives the edge to modern warbirds?.
