Aircraft & UAVs

EC-130H Compass Call

The EC-130H Compass Call is the U.S. Air Force's legacy airborne electronic-attack aircraft, a heavily modified C-130H that denies, degrades, and disrupts adversary command-and-control communications, radars, and navigation systems. Its mission crew operates permanently installed electronic-attack equipment for U.S. and coalition air, surface, maritime, and special-operations support, while the EC-130H fleet transitions to the EA-37B Compass Call successor.

EC-130H Compass Call, Airborne electronic attack aircraft, Aircraft & UAVs
Image source: EC-130H Compass Call 060617

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Specifications

Mission
Airborne tactical electronic attack against command-and-control communications, radars, and navigation systems
Airframe
Heavily modified C-130H Hercules
Crew
13 total: 4 flight-deck crew and 9 electronic-attack mission crew
Wingspan
132.6 ft
Length
99 ft
Height
38 ft
Max takeoff weight
155,000 lb
Powerplant
Four Allison T56-A-15 turboprops, 4,910 shp each
Speed
300 mph at 20,000 ft
Unrefueled range
2,295 miles
Normal endurance
7 hours; aerial refuelable
Ceiling
25,000 ft
Operator
Air Combat Command, 55th Electronic Combat Group
Mission System And Upgrades

The EC-130H Compass Call centers on permanently installed electronic-attack mission equipment carried inside the C-130H cargo and mission compartment. The Air Force describes the aircraft as a flexible system for disrupting adversary command-and-control communications, while later configurations also added capability against early warning/acquisition radars and navigation systems.

Crew split

Four flight-deck crew fly and navigate the aircraft; nine mission crew operate the electronic-attack equipment.

Upgrade model

Spiral baseline upgrades added digital signal processing, reconfigurable clip-ins, improved external communications, expanded SATCOM, data links, and classified precision and attack-capacity changes.

Successor path

L3Harris says the legacy EC-130H mission system is being cross-decked to the Gulfstream G550-based Compass Call successor, later designated EA-37B.

Variants

Compass Call upgrades are described as spiral baseline configurations on the EC-130H airframe before the mission system is rehosted on the EA-37B.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Block 35 Baseline 1EC-130H mission-system baseline

Added higher effective radiated power, a broader frequency range, digital signal processing, and jamming against communications, early warning/acquisition radar, and navigation systems.

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

Baseline 2EC-130H mission-system baseline

Integrated clip-in capabilities with legacy functions, improved external communications, expanded SATCOM and data-link connectivity, and classified precision and attack-capacity upgrades.

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

Baseline 3Late EC-130H configuration

Air & Space Forces Magazine identifies Baseline 3 as the most recent EC-130H configuration and notes its Advanced Radar Countermeasure System and other capability enhancements.

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

Carried Systems

Armada International identifies NOVA equipment inside the EC-130H Compass Call mission-equipment suite.

Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
NOVA equipment, IED-jamming subsystem, Electronic WarfareNOVA equipmentIED-jamming subsystem

Armada International says the EC-130H Compass Call's NOVA equipment jams remote-controlled improvised explosive devices.

Sources: Compass Call Upgrade

Timeline

EC-130H Compass Call Key Events

  1. First flight

    The Compass Call had its first flight in 1981 as the U.S. Air Force began fielding the modified C-130H electronic-attack platform.

  2. First modified aircraft arrives

    The first specially modified EC-130H Compass Call, tail number 1587, arrived at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

  3. Initial operating capability

    Compass Call reached initial operating capability in 1983.

  4. Block 35 fielded

    Air & Space Forces Magazine lists Block 35 from 2011 and says all EC-130H aircraft were later retrofitted to the Block 35 standard.

  5. First Compass Call aircraft retires

    Tail number 1587 completed its final flight after 37 years conducting the Compass Call mission.

  6. 43rd ECS final EC-130H sortie

    The 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron flew its final EC-130H Compass Call sortie as the Air Force shifted the squadron toward the EA-37B.

Media

EC-130H Compass Call Videos

EC-130H Compass Call Images

EC-130H Compass Call, Airborne electronic attack aircraft, Aircraft & UAVs - view 1
Source: EC-130H Compass Call (15147817100)
EC-130H Compass Call, Airborne electronic attack aircraft, Aircraft & UAVs - view 2
Source: EC-130H Compass Call at Al Dhafra Air Base
EC-130H Compass Call, Airborne electronic attack aircraft, Aircraft & UAVs - view 3
Source: EC-130H Compass Call maintenance at Bagram Airfield
Related Weapon Systems
Communication EA Surveillance and Reconnaissance (CEASAR) pod, Airborne electronic attack and reconnaissance pod, Electronic WarfareElectronic WarfareCommunication EA Surveillance and Reconnaissance (CEASAR) podAirborne electronic attack and reconnaissance podThe Communication EA Surveillance and Reconnaissance (CEASAR) pod is a Raytheon-built U.S. airborne electronic-attack payload developed for C-12/King Air aircraft to provide beyond-line-of-sight communications jamming for ground forces. It deployed with Task Force CEASAR in Afghanistan, later fed the NERO Gray Eagle UAS adaptation, and appeared in Air National Guard planning for EC-130J Commando Solo Multi-Mission Payload-Heavy aircraft.
EC-130J Commando Solo, Airborne information operations and psychological operations aircraft, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsEC-130J Commando SoloAirborne information operations and psychological operations aircraftThe EC-130J Commando Solo is a Lockheed Martin C-130J-derived U.S. Air Force special-mission aircraft that broadcasts information operations and psychological operations messages across AM, FM, HF, TV, and military communications bands. The 193rd Special Operations Wing operates the aircraft, which adds enhanced navigation, self-protection, air refueling, digital message playback, and live-broadcast capability to the Hercules airframe.
AC-130 gunship, Heavily armed fixed-wing gunship, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsAC-130 gunshipHeavily armed fixed-wing gunshipThe AC-130 gunship is a side-firing C-130 derivative built for persistent close air support, air interdiction, armed reconnaissance, and special-operations overwatch. Modern AC-130U, AC-130W, and AC-130J aircraft pair trainable cannon armament with electro-optical/infrared sensors, fire-control systems, communications suites, and standoff precision munitions so crews can support ground forces from extended loiter or overwatch positions.
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