The Air Force's New Electronic Warfare Jet Could Redefine Modern Combat

The United States Air Force is fielding its first new dedicated electronic warfare aircraft in four decades — and the platform is already proving itself in combat. The EA-37B Compass Call, a modified business jet packed with jamming and cyber capabilities, represents a generational leap over the aging EC-130H it replaces, and some experts believe it could fundamentally shift how the U.S. military fights in the invisible spectrum of modern warfare.

Why Electronic Warfare Matters Now

Electronic warfare has been a silent enabler of military operations since at least 1904, when Russian forces jammed Japanese radio signals during the shelling of Port Arthur. In the Gulf War, Air Force EF-111A Ravens and Navy EA-6B Prowlers systematically blinded and deafened Iraqi air defenses, clearing the way for strike aircraft. The Navy's own history notes that electromagnetic jamming was "critical to the success of all aviation missions" — and that when suppression wasn't available, missions didn't fly.

Today's threat environment is far more complex. Advanced adversaries are deploying radar systems that shift between never-before-seen waveforms, adjust their power and sensitivity on the fly, and coordinate through software-defined networks. Ukraine has demonstrated this in real time: Ukrainian forces have used software-defined radios to maneuver through the electromagnetic spectrum, changing frequencies rapidly to circumvent jamming — and using those same signals to hunt the jammers targeting them.

The EA-37B Compass Call: Built for the Pacific Fight

The EC-130H Compass Call flew low and slow over the Middle East through the Global War on Terror, tracking insurgent networks and disrupting roadside bomb triggers. But the Air Force is pivoting toward the Pacific — a theater defined by vast distances, advanced adversaries, and the possibility of high-intensity conflict with China.

The EC-130H can't keep up. Its service ceiling of 25,000 feet limits how far its signals can reach, and its speed and range aren't suited for operations across an ocean. The EA-37B changes that. Based on the Gulfstream G280 business jet, it flies roughly twice as far as its predecessor, at higher altitude, and significantly faster. The bulges along its fuselage house high-power transmit antennas that extend its reach well beyond what smaller electronic attack platforms — such as the Navy's EA-18G Growler — can achieve.

The Air Force is also building in rapid-upgrade architecture. Software-defined systems let Compass Call crews update their electronic warfare programs in the field to respond to new threats, rather than waiting for lengthy depot-level modifications.

Already Combat-Tested

The first EA-37B arrived at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona in August 2024. By May 2025, the fleet had grown to five aircraft — and it has already seen combat. The Compass Call took part in Operation Epic Fury earlier this year, the ongoing U.S. air campaign against Iranian targets. Its debut in a live conflict came far earlier than most new weapons systems manage.

"If anything, the electromagnetic spectrum has become more challenged over time," said Col. Scott Mills, then-commander of the 355th Wing at Davis-Monthan. "We need an asset that can meet that challenge today. We have that with the arrival of the EA-37B."

Is the Fleet Big Enough?

The Air Force originally planned to buy 12 EA-37Bs. In its fiscal year 2027 budget request, it bumped that to 22 aircraft through 2031 — nearly doubling the original procurement. But some analysts say even that isn't enough. Heather Penney, an airpower expert at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, has said the Air Force likely needs more than 30 aircraft to meet global demand for electronic attack capabilities.

Bryan Clark, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, offered a more cautious view. He noted that as air defenses continue to evolve, the EA-37B's utility may erode. "We're in a cat-and-mouse game that never ends," he told Task & Purpose. "The moment you field a new capability, the adversary starts working on a counter."

Whether the Compass Call fleet expands further will likely depend on how the platform performs in the current campaign over Iran — and on the outcome of ongoing diplomatic efforts to bring that conflict to a close.

Source: Task & Purpose