Heading to the Middle East: The New EA-37B “Compass Call” Take Off from RAF Mildenhall for Their Operational Debut

The skies over the Mediterranean are setting the stage for a significant and unprecedented strategic movement by the US Air Force. Two brand-new EA-37B “Compass Call” electronic warfare aircraft are currently landing at the naval and air base of Souda Bay, on the island of Crete, after crossing continental Europe.

The deployment began at RAF Mildenhall, in Suffolk (United Kingdom). The historic British base, one of the main logistical and operational hubs for US air forces in Europe, served as a launchpad: the two aircraft arrived here from the United States a few days ago, waiting to continue their journey.

As shown by the radar track, the planes crossed the skies of Belgium, Germany, the Alps, and the entire Italian peninsula, heading southeast. This stopover in the Mediterranean is crucial, as the aircraft are heading toward the CENTCOM (United States Central Command) area of responsibility, which covers the Middle East theater.

The two aircraft involved in this transfer, operating as a pair, are:

• EA-37B callsign “AXIS41” (Registration: 19-1587, Hex: #AE17CD)
• EA-37B callsign “AXIS43” (Registration: 17-5579, Hex: #AE142E)

What is the EA-37B Compass Call?

The EA-37B (formerly known as the EC-37B) represents the state of the art in US electronic warfare (EW) and electromagnetic attack. It was designed with a crucial task: replacing the aging EC-130H “Compass Call,” based on the C-130 Hercules airframe and in service since the Cold War.

The new platform is a radical leap forward:

• The Aircraft: It is based on the Gulfstream G550 twin-engine business jet, a widely proven airframe that is faster, capable of flying at much higher altitudes (over 40,000 feet), and has lower operating costs compared to the older four-engine turboprops.
• The Technology: The heavy modifications and system integration were carried out by L3Harris in collaboration with BAE Systems. The aircraft is equipped with a highly specialized EW suite, whose large side “cheek” fairings (conformal radomes) house powerful phased-array antennas.
• The Mission: The primary objective of the EA-37B is to disrupt, degrade, and destroy enemy communications (C3: Command, Control, Communications), early warning radar systems, and adversary navigation networks. It plays a vital role in SEAD (Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses) missions, blinding anti-aircraft systems to allow allied fighters to operate safely.

A Likely Operational “Baptism”

The most significant aspect of this transfer is its exceptional nature. The EA-37B program is extremely recent: currently, it is estimated that only about five of these aircraft are operational, out of a total order of just ten units planned for the US Air Force.

Given the “youth” of the weapon system (whose first deliveries for operational testing occurred only around late 2023 and early 2024), an active deployment toward the CENTCOM area strongly indicates that this is the very first time the EA-37Bs are being used in real-world operations outside of American territory and in an active theater of operations.

The dispatch of such a rare and technologically advanced asset suggests the American command’s need to have the best currently existing electromagnetic jamming capabilities in the field, effectively marking the operational debut of this new generation of “invisible warriors.”