BAE Systems and L3Harris Technologies have successfully handed over the inaugural EC-37B Compass Call aircraft to the U.S. Air Force, marking the commencement of formal combined developmental and operational evaluations for this pivotal project. This next-generation system signifies a significant evolution in the Air Force's four-decade-long mission, which centers on deploying electromagnetic attack (EA) capabilities to support U.S. and coalition air, surface, and special operations forces.

The Compass Call Airborne Electromagnetic Attack mission system, the core of this project, is produced by BAE Systems at its facility in Hudson, New Hampshire. This sophisticated system plays a crucial role in disrupting enemy communications, radars, and navigation systems. It achieves this by effectively suppressing enemy air defenses, impeding the transmission of essential information between adversaries, weapon systems, and command-and-control networks.

The integration of the EC-130H Compass Call mission system into the modern Gulfstream G550 business jet, the platform for this endeavor, was undertaken by L3Harris at its aircraft missionization center in Waco, Texas. The EC-37B exhibits enhanced speed, endurance, and high-altitude operational capabilities, thereby improving its survivability and range to deliver more potent EA effects.

Dave Harrold, Vice President and General Manager of Countermeasure & Electromagnetic Attack at BAE Systems, expressed the significance of this achievement: "The delivery of the first EC-37B Compass Call is a major milestone for our customer's electromagnetic attack capabilities. We take pride in delivering this critical EW capability to keep the U.S. at the vanguard for defense and deterrence."

Jason Lambert, President of Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance at L3Harris, emphasized the technical feat achieved in migrating the Compass Call mission equipment from the larger EC-130H to the Gulfstream G550 platform: "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. 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."

Source:prnewswire.com