The United States Air Force officially retired its EC-130H Compass Call electronic attack aircraft following the platform's final operational flight on September 2, 2026. The historic final sortie took place at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, ending more than four decades of continuous service for the specialized military airframe.
During the final Arizona sortie, the EC-130H flew alongside its designated successor, the EA-37B Compass Call. According to official imagery and statements from the 355th Wing, this flight represented the first time both electronic warfare aircraft types flew together in formation. The 55th Electronic Combat Group, based at Davis-Monthan, operated the entire legacy EC-130H fleet throughout its service life.
Entering front-line military service in the early 1980s as a heavily modified variant of the C-130 Hercules transport, a total of 14 EC-130H airframes were produced. The specialized aircraft was developed to jam adversary communications, radar, and navigation signals, while also supporting the suppression of enemy air defenses. Aircrews operating the fleet accumulated more than 76,000 combat hours over the past two decades.
The replacement EA-37B aircraft is based on the Gulfstream G550 business jet platform and is operated by a crew of nine personnel, compared to the 13-person crew required for the EC-130H. Under the Compass Call Rehost program, approximately 70% of the mission equipment from the older EC-130H platform is being transferred directly to the new EA-37B airframes to preserve operational capabilities.
In its fiscal year 2027 budget submission, the Air Force requested $660 million to procure three additional EA-37B jets, alongside plans to acquire seven more through 2031. If Congress fully funds these budget requests, the Air Force plans to expand the overall EA-37B fleet to 22 aircraft, surpassing the original 14-aircraft footprint of the retired EC-130H platform.
