An EC-130H Compass Call electronic warfare aircraft makes its final flight at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, on September 18. Based on the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules transport plane, the EC-130H has served in the Air Force for more than 40 years. (US Air Force/Senior Airman Matthew Arachikavitz)

Closing Out the EC-130H Compass Call Aircraft After Four Decades in Service

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Though the EC-130H is being retired, the “Compass Call” is not; a newer aircraft, the EA-37B, will receive the same designation and mission set.

As far as advanced military aircraft go, the EC-130H Compass Call was always an unusual fit. It did not have stealth technology or a low radar cross section (LRCS), nor did it carry a massive weapons load. During its more than four decades of service, the EC-130H was largely unarmed, at least in that it never carried conventional kinetic weapons. Instead, it served as an airborne electronic attack and tactical jamming platform, equipped with specialized computer systems and large antenna arrays. It was designed to disrupt an adversary’s........

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