US Air Force receives first new electronic warfare jet

L3Harris Technologies Inc., a global aerospace and defense technology company, has announced that the U.S. Air Force received the first of 10 EC-37B Compass Call electronic warfare jets.

As noted by the company, BAE Systems and L3Harris Technologies delivered the first EC-37B Compass Call aircraft to the U.S. Air Force 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.

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.

“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.”