BAE Systems and L3Harris Technologies have delivered the first of ten EC-37B Compass Call aircraft to the US Air Force for formal combined development and operational testing.
The next-generation system advances the Air Force’s 40-year mission to employ electromagnetic attack (EA) capabilities in support of U.S. and coalition air, ground and special operations forces.
L3Harris, the leading platform integration company, has integrated the EC-130H Compass Call mission system on a modern Gulfstream G550 business aircraft at its aviation mission center in Waco, Texas. The EC-37B features increased speed, endurance and high-altitude operational capabilities to improve survivability and the range of AE effects.
Dave Harrold, vice president and general manager of electromagnetic attack and countermeasures at BAE Systems, said: “The delivery of the first EC-37B Compass Call is an important milestone for our customers’ electromagnetic attack capabilities. “We are proud to provide this critical EW capability to keep the U.S. at the forefront of defense and deterrence.”
For his part, Jason Lambert, President of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance at L3Harris, said: “Our team has overcome the incredible challenge of migrating Compass Call mission equipment from the much larger EC-130H and fully integrating it into the Gulfstream G550 platform. “. “As the Air Force retires its 40-year-old EC-130H fleet, the state-of-the-art EC-37B will enable the customer to continue to fulfill its vital electromagnetic warfare mission for generations to come.”
