Aeronaves y UAV

EC-130H Compass Call

El EC-130H Compass Call es el avión heredado de ataque electrónico aerotransportado de la U.S. Air Force, un C-130H fuertemente modificado que niega, degrada e interrumpe comunicaciones de mando y control, radares y sistemas de navegación adversarios. Su tripulación de misión opera equipos de ataque electrónico instalados de forma permanente para apoyo aéreo, terrestre, marítimo y de operaciones especiales de Estados Unidos y la coalición, mientras la flota EC-130H transiciona hacia su sucesor EA-37B Compass Call.

EC-130H Compass Call, Avión de ataque electrónico aerotransportado, Aeronaves y UAV
Image source: EC-130H Compass Call 060617

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Specifications

Misión
Ataque electrónico táctico aerotransportado contra comunicaciones de mando y control, radares y sistemas de navegación
Célula
C-130H Hercules fuertemente modificado
Tripulación
13 en total: 4 tripulantes de cabina de vuelo y 9 tripulantes de misión de ataque electrónico
Envergadura
132.6 ft
Longitud
99 ft
Altura
38 ft
Peso máximo al despegue
155,000 lb
Planta motriz
Cuatro turbohélices Allison T56-A-15, 4,910 shp cada uno
Velocidad
300 mph a 20,000 ft
Alcance sin reabastecimiento
2,295 millas
Autonomía normal
7 horas; reabastecible en vuelo
Techo
25,000 ft
Operador
Air Combat Command, 55th Electronic Combat Group
Mission System And Upgrades

El EC-130H Compass Call se centra en equipo de misión de ataque electrónico instalado de forma permanente dentro del compartimento de carga y misión del C-130H. La Air Force describe la aeronave como un sistema flexible para interrumpir comunicaciones de mando y control adversarias, mientras que configuraciones posteriores también añadieron capacidad contra radares de alerta temprana/adquisición y sistemas de navegación.

Distribución de tripulación

Cuatro tripulantes de cabina vuelan y navegan la aeronave; nueve tripulantes de misión operan el equipo de ataque electrónico.

Modelo de modernización

Las modernizaciones básicas espirales añadieron procesamiento digital de señales, módulos clip-in reconfigurables, mejores comunicaciones externas, SATCOM ampliado, enlaces de datos y cambios clasificados de precisión y capacidad de ataque.

Ruta de sucesión

L3Harris afirma que el sistema de misión heredado del EC-130H se está transfiriendo al sucesor Compass Call basado en Gulfstream G550, posteriormente designado EA-37B.

Variants

Las modernizaciones Compass Call se describen como configuraciones básicas espirales sobre la célula EC-130H antes de que el sistema de misión sea trasladado al EA-37B.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Block 35 Baseline 1Configuración base del sistema de misión EC-130H

Añadió mayor potencia radiada efectiva, un rango de frecuencias más amplio, procesamiento digital de señales e interferencia contra comunicaciones, radar de alerta temprana/adquisición y sistemas de navegación.

Sources: U.S. Air Force EC-130H Compass Call Fact Sheet

Baseline 2Configuración base del sistema de misión EC-130H

Integró capacidades clip-in con funciones heredadas, mejoró las comunicaciones externas, amplió la conectividad SATCOM y de enlace de datos, e incorporó mejoras clasificadas de precisión y capacidad de ataque.

Sources: U.S. Air Force EC-130H Compass Call Fact Sheet

Baseline 3Configuración tardía del EC-130H

Air & Space Forces Magazine identifica Baseline 3 como la configuración más reciente del EC-130H y señala su Advanced Radar Countermeasure System y otras mejoras de capacidad.

Sources: Air & Space Forces EC-130H Compass Call Profile

Sistemas transportados

Armada International identifica equipos NOVA dentro del conjunto de equipo de misión del EC-130H Compass Call.

Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
NOVA equipment, IED-jamming subsystem, Electronic WarfareNOVA equipmentSubsistema de interferencia contra IED

Armada International afirma que el equipo NOVA del EC-130H Compass Call interfiere dispositivos explosivos improvisados controlados a distancia.

Sources: Compass Call Upgrade

Timeline

EC-130H Compass Call Key Events

  1. Primer vuelo

    El Compass Call realizó su primer vuelo en 1981, cuando la U.S. Air Force comenzó a incorporar la plataforma modificada C-130H de ataque electrónico.

  2. Llega el primer avión modificado

    El primer EC-130H Compass Call especialmente modificado, con número de cola 1587, llegó a Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

  3. Capacidad operativa inicial

    Compass Call alcanzó la capacidad operativa inicial en 1983.

  4. Block 35 entra en servicio

    Air & Space Forces Magazine lista Block 35 desde 2011 y afirma que todos los aviones EC-130H fueron posteriormente modernizados al estándar Block 35.

  5. Se retira el primer avión Compass Call

    El número de cola 1587 completó su último vuelo después de 37 años realizando la misión Compass Call.

  6. Última salida EC-130H del 43rd ECS

    El 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron voló su última salida EC-130H Compass Call mientras la Air Force orientaba el escuadrón hacia el EA-37B.

Media

EC-130H Compass Call Videos

EC-130H Compass Call Images

EC-130H Compass Call, Avión de ataque electrónico aerotransportado, Aeronaves y UAV - view 1
Source: EC-130H Compass Call (15147817100)
EC-130H Compass Call, Avión de ataque electrónico aerotransportado, Aeronaves y UAV - view 2
Source: EC-130H Compass Call at Al Dhafra Air Base
EC-130H Compass Call, Avión de ataque electrónico aerotransportado, Aeronaves y UAV - view 3
Source: EC-130H Compass Call maintenance at Bagram Airfield
Related Weapon Systems
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C-130 Hercules, Tactical airlift transport aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsC-130 HerculesTactical airlift transport aircraftThe Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a U.S. tactical airlift family built by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company for rough-strip operations, oversized cargo, airdrop, and theater logistics. Direct sources document Hercules transport use from Vietnam and Desert Storm through Afghanistan, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and the Mosul campaign, while the broader family includes gunship, tanker, rescue, special-operations, and electronic-warfare derivatives.
ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System, Tactical jamming pod system, Electronic WarfareElectronic WarfareALQ-99 Tactical Jamming SystemTactical jamming pod systemThe ALQ-99 Tactical Jamming System is a U.S. external-carriage airborne electronic attack pod family used to jam radar and communications targets for suppression of enemy air defenses. NAVAIR says it entered service in 1971, served on the EA-6B Prowler before transitioning to the EA-18G Growler in 2010, and remains in use alongside Next Generation Jammer pods, including documented VAQ-133 carriage during 2026 Iran War strike operations.
E-11A airborne communications relay aircraft, Airborne communications relay aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsE-11A airborne communications relay aircraftAirborne communications relay aircraftThe E-11A is a modified Bombardier Global 6000/BD-700 or Global 6500 business jet used by the U.S. Air Force as the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node, or BACN. It relays and translates voice, imagery, tactical data links, and IP-based traffic between otherwise incompatible air, ground, maritime, and coalition networks. The type entered combat in Afghanistan in 2008, CENTCOM listed it among Operation Epic Fury assets in 2026, and nine airframes had been delivered by September 2025 even as the Air Force's FY2027 posture statement planned full divestment in FY2028.

Sources

U.S. Air Force EC-130H Compass Call Fact SheetPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports EC-130H Compass Call background, mission, service history, baseline variants, and crew details. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Air & Space Forces EC-130H Compass Call ProfilePublisher: Air & Space Forces Magazine | Note: Supports EC-130H Compass Call contractors, first flight, delivery, inventory, dimensions, performance data, late baseline context, and 2024 operator transition. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Davis-Monthan EC-130H Compass Call Fact SheetPublisher: Davis-Monthan Air Force Base | Note: Supports current mission language, operating unit context, sortie-hour background, reconfigurable mission-system details, and upgraded communications and avionics context. | Accessed: 2026-07-03BAE Systems Compass Call Product PagePublisher: BAE Systems | Note: Supports Compass Call mission-system role, electromagnetic attack effects against command, control, communications, radars, and navigation systems, and BAE Systems mission-system prime-contractor role. | Accessed: 2026-07-03L3Harris EC-37B Cross Deck Data SheetPublisher: L3Harris | Note: Supports EC-130H mission-system migration to the EC-37B/EA-37B successor and the legacy fleet's electronic-warfare mission context. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Compass Call First Final FlightPublisher: Davis-Monthan Air Force Base | Note: Supports first modified EC-130H arrival date at Davis-Monthan and the January 2020 final flight of tail number 1587. | Accessed: 2026-07-0343rd ECS Transitions to EA-37BPublisher: Offutt Air Force Base | Note: Supports the February 2024 final EC-130H flight by the 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron and the phased transition to the EA-37B. | Accessed: 2026-07-03EC-130H Compass Call 060617Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the EC-130H Compass Call in-flight image used as the primary image. | Accessed: 2026-07-03EC-130H Compass Call (15147817100)Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the EC-130H Compass Call Bagram Airfield image used in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-07-03EC-130H Compass Call at Al Dhafra Air BasePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the EC-130H Compass Call Al Dhafra Air Base image used in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-07-03EC-130H Compass Call maintenance at Bagram AirfieldPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the EC-130H Compass Call Bagram maintenance image used in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Operation Epic Fury Fact SheetPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: Supports 2020 United States-Iran Conflict direct use: EC-130H Compass Call used by CENTCOM as an electronic warfare aircraft in Operation Epic Fury against Iran. | Accessed: 2026-07-03EC-130H Supports Operation Freedom's SentinelPublisher: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service | Note: Supports 2001 War in Afghanistan direct use: EC-130H Compass Call used by U.S. Air Force crews at Bagram Airfield in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Compass Call Reshapes OIR Battlefield With Electronic Warfare DominationPublisher: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service | Note: Supports 2014 War Against the Islamic State direct conflict use under Operation Inherent Resolve: Supports 2014 Operation Inherent Resolve direct use: EC-130H Compass Call used by the 43rd Expeditionary Electronic Combat Squadron to support U.S. and coalition forces and degrade ISIS command and control. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Compass Call UpgradePublisher: Armada International | Note: Supports NOVA equipment carriage and the EC-130H Compass Call mission-equipment context. | Accessed: 2026-07-03