WASHINGTON — The Air Force officially retired the EC-130H Compass Call, concluding more than four decades of service for the electronic‑attack aircraft.
Officials bid farewell to the aircraft at a ceremony on September 18 at Davis‑Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, where the turboprop performed its final operational taxi, according to an Air Force press release. The base hosts the 55th Electronic Combat Group, which operated the Compass Call, and the nearby “Boneyard,” where the aircraft is slated for storage.
“This marks the end of not only my tenure with the squadron but an entire chapter of my life,” said Staff Sgt. Justin Franko, a dedicated crew chief with the 755th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, referring to the aircraft’s final taxi in the release.
The EC-130H, a Lockheed Martin C‑130 turboprop outfitted with electronic‑attack gear by BAE Systems and L3Harris, entered service in 1983 to disrupt enemy communications and jam radars. The Pentagon noted that the aircraft saw action in the early phases of combat operations against Iran earlier this year during Operation Epic Fury.
The Air Force is replacing the EC‑130H with the EA‑37B, which will also carry the Compass Call designation. The new electronic‑attack platform is based on a Gulfstream G550 business jet and will employ similar BAE Systems technology integrated by L3Harris.
“We are retiring the EC‑130, but we are not retiring the Compass Call mission,” said Col. Aaron Gray, commander of the 55th Wing at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, in the Air Force release. “The mission continues with the EA‑37B.”
According to the Air Force, the upgraded Compass Call will operate at twice the altitude and double the speed of its predecessor, employing more capable systems against adversaries. The first EA‑37B was delivered in August 2024.
After earlier uncertainty regarding the EA‑37B’s fleet size, Air Force officials announced in April that the forthcoming Compass Call fleet will be expanded to 22 aircraft. Italy became the first export customer for the jet last year.
Advanced electronic warfare remains a critical component of modern conflict, with both offensive and defensive capabilities in the electromagnetic spectrum essential for confronting peer adversaries such as China. In addition to the Air Force, the Navy fields its own dedicated airborne electronic‑attack platform, the carrier‑launched EA‑18G Growler.
