US Air Force Retires EC-130H Compass Call as EA-37B Takes Over
On September 3, 2026, the 55th Electronic Combat Group operating out of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base reported that an Air Force EA-37B Compass Call flew side-by-side with an EC-130H Compass Call over Southern Arizona for the first time, signaling the concluding mission of the turboprop electronic attack platform following more than forty years on the front lines.
The End of an Era for the Propeller-Driven Compass Call
The final sortie, executed on September 3, 2026, brought down the curtain on a legendary airframe that helped define modern electronic warfare. According to the 355th Wing, the historic formation flight over Southern Arizona near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base represented the definitive handoff between the aging turboprop and its modern jet-powered successor, the EA-37B. The EC-130H, a heavily modified C-130 Hercules platform, had flown the rigorous electronic attack mission since 1982. Over those four decades, the aircraft disrupted, denied, and degraded enemy command-and-control networks, using sophisticated electronic attack suites to jam communications and radar systems that adversaries relied upon to coordinate forces.
The workload carried by these crews was staggering. According to wing records, EC-130H operators logged more than 76,000 combat hours over the past two decades alone in support of named global operations. In 1989, the aircraft group made its initial combat appearance during Operation Just Cause in Panama, subsequently maintaining an almost unbroken deployment schedule starting in 2001. Across its operational lifespan, fourteen airframes were converted for the Compass Call mission, participating directly in major conflicts including Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and Inherent Resolve. Longevity defined the fleet; one of the original airframes, tail number 1587, logged close to 29,000 hours before its retirement in 2020, which included nearly 11,000 hours dedicated strictly to direct combat support.
Transitioning to the Gulfstream G550-Based EA-37B Fleet
As the EC-130H bows out, the 55th Electronic Combat Group is fully embracing the future of airborne electronic attack. The replacement platform, the EA-37B, is built on a modified Gulfstream G550 business jet airframe. While the older turboprop required a crew of 13 to operate its legacy systems, the jet-powered EA-37B carries a crew of nine. Under the Compass Call Rehost program, roughly 70% of the legacy aircraft’s mission equipment is transferred directly to the new airframe rather than redesigned from scratch, allowing the Air Force to preserve critical electronic warfare capabilities throughout the multi-year transition.
The modernization timeline has accelerated rapidly. The 55th Electronic Combat Group began receiving the replacement in August 2024, when Air Combat Command took delivery of its first aircraft. Subsequently, the 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron flew the EA-37B’s first mission training sortie on May 2, 2025, following the squadron’s completion of its final EC-130H missions in February 2024. Despite the ongoing transition, the EA-37B has already seen active combat deployment. Two of the jets deployed from Davis-Monthan through RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom to Souda Bay, Crete, in late March 2026, entering the fight against Iran as part of Operation Epic Fury, which commenced on February 28, 2026.
Program Scale, Procurement, and Strategic Implications
Budgetary backing for the new fleet highlights the high priority the Department of Defense places on maintaining electromagnetic dominance. According to budget disclosures, the Air Force requested $660 million in its fiscal 2027 budget request to purchase three more EA-37Bs, while outlining plans to acquire another seven through 2031. Congress previously increased the program of record from 10 to 12 aircraft by funding two additional jets in the fiscal 2026 appropriations. If fully funded, the procurement plan will bring the total EA-37B fleet to 22 aircraft—substantially outnumbering the 14 legacy EC-130H airframes it replaces.
Managing large-scale technological transitions of this magnitude requires rigorous logistical planning and specialized oversight. Defense contractors, aerospace supply chain networks, and specialized aviation compliance legal counsel frequently assist prime contractors and military subcontractors in navigating complex procurement frameworks, regulatory compliance, and modernization contracts. Furthermore, as military installations modernize their technical infrastructure, regional economies near major hubs like Davis-Monthan rely heavily on specialized defense contractor logistics services to ensure seamless operational continuity.
The retirement of tail number 1587 and its remaining contemporaries closes a vital chapter in military aviation history. Yet, as the EA-37B assumes the mantle across global theaters, the foundational electronic warfare tactics forged over four decades of Compass Call operations will continue to shape how joint forces blind enemy air defenses and secure the electromagnetic spectrum.