Air Force Bids Final Farewell to Original Compass Call After More Than 40 Years

The Air Force has officially retired its veteran EC-130H Compass Call fleet, closing more than 40 years of operations for an aircraft that jammed enemy signals and networks during missions across the Middle East.

The aircraft participated in the initial stages of Operation Epic Fury earlier this year against Iran. Its retirement ends the operational run of the original Compass Call platform, but not the electronic warfare mission it carried.

The service formally bid farewell to the EC-130H during a ceremony last week at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. The installation is home to the 55th Electronic Combat Group.

On Sept. 2, the EC-130H completed its final sortie, bringing a service life that began in 1981 to an official close. The aircraft had spent decades performing electronic warfare operations.

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The retiring model is now headed for the boneyard at Davis-Monthan. While the familiar aircraft is leaving service, Air Force leaders made clear that Compass Call itself is continuing on a newer platform.

“We are retiring the EC-130. We are not retiring Compass Call,” said Col. Aaron Gray, commander of the 55th Wing at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, during the retirement ceremony. “The mission continues with the EA-37B.”

The Air Force says the EA-37B “represents a generational leap in electromagnetic warfare.” The newer aircraft is taking over the Compass Call mission from the EC-130H.

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The EA-37B Compass Call is based on a Gulfstream G550 business jet modified with classified electronic attack equipment. It replaces a predecessor built on the C-130 cargo aircraft, a platform powered by propellers.

The difference between the two aircraft is considerable. The EA-37B can operate at 51,000 feet, more than double the ceiling of the EC-130H, and can fly twice as fast.

Image Credit: DoW

The newer Compass Call can reach speeds of up to 600 mph. Those performance figures give the EA-37B substantially greater altitude and speed than the aircraft that carried the mission beginning in 1981.

The EA-37B carries a combat crew of up to nine people, about a third fewer than the old Compass Call. Despite the reduced crew size, it retains the central electronic attack responsibilities associated with the mission.

The aircraft can jam enemy communications, radar and navigation systems during tactical air and ground operations. Those capabilities continue the type of work performed by the departing EC-130H fleet against hostile signals and networks.

The first EA-37B was delivered in August 2024. In January, it completed its first voyage across the Atlantic from Arizona and landed at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

That European trip came before the aircraft was identified as one of the platforms deployed during the ongoing war in Iran. U.S. Central Command disclosed its deployment in April.

Image Credit: DoW

The Navy has also employed its dedicated electronic warfare aircraft in combat operations in Iran. According to CENTCOM, the EA-18G Growler has been used during those operations alongside the broader American electronic warfare effort.

An EC-130H and an EA-37B flew together over Southern Arizona on Sept. 3, 2026, visually pairing the outgoing aircraft with its replacement. The flight displayed the transition from the original Compass Call platform to the newer aircraft now carrying its mission forward.

The retirement ceremony marked the end of the EC-130H’s long Air Force career without ending Compass Call. The platform is changing, the crew requirement is shrinking and performance is increasing, but the mission remains firmly in service aboard the EA-37B.

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