Lockheed EC-130H Compass Call

EC-130H Compass Call
An EC-130H Compass Call flies a training mission over Lake Mead, Arizona.
Role Electronic warfare (EW), Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD), offensive counter-information
Manufacturer Lockheed (airframe)
BAE Systems (prime mission equipment)
L3 Communications (aircraft integration and depot maintenance)
Introduction April 1982
Primary user United States Air Force
Number built 14 (USAF)
Unit cost
$165 million

The EC-130H Compass Call is an electronic attack aircraft flown by the United States Air Force. Based on the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules, the aircraft is heavily modified to disrupt enemy command and control communications, perform offensive counterinformation operations, and do other kinds of electronic attack. Planned upgrades will add the ability to attack early warning and acquisition radars.

The EC-130H fleet, which is used to support U.S. and allied tactical air, surface, and special operations forces. Based at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona, Compass Call can be deployed worldwide at short notice.

The EC-130H is one of the four main U.S. electronic warfare aircraft, along with the Boeing EA-18 Growler, Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler, and the F-16CJ Fighting Falcon. These suppress enemy air defenses while jamming communications, radar and command and control targets.

Development

The EC-130H fleet is composed of a mix of state-of-the-art baseline aircraft.

Design

Crew

The EC-130H aircraft carries a combat crew of 13 people. Four members handle aircraft flight and navigation (aircraft commander, co-pilot, navigator and flight engineer), while nine members operate and employ the EA mission equipment permanently integrated in the cargo/mission compartment. The mission crew includes the mission crew commander (electronic warfare officer), weapon system officer (electronic warfare officer), mission crew supervisor (an experienced cryptologic linguist), four analysis operators (linguists), one acquisition operator and an airborne maintenance technician.[1]

Operational history

Compass Call has been used in Kosovo, Haiti, Panama, Iraq, Serbia, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.

From 2002 to 2015, EC-130Hs participating in Operation Enduring Freedom - Afghanistan and Operation Freedom's Sentinel flew over 40,000 hours during 6,900 combat sorties.[2]

Operators

United States Air Force

Egyptian Air Force[3][4][5]

Specifications (EC-130H)

Data from Air Force Link: EC-130H Compass Call[1]

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

References

  1. 1 2 "Factsheets : EC-130H Compass Call". United States Air Force. 5 November 2010. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  2. ↑ Wickman, Tony (11 September 2015). "41st EECS Scorpions defend the force with Compass Call". U.S. Air Forces Central Command. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  3. ↑ "Egypt - Air Force Lockheed EC-130H Hercules photo by Antoine Cascail". Airplane-pictures.net. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  4. ↑ "Aircraft Museum - C-130 Hercules". Aerospaceweb.org. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  5. ↑ "Armed Forces Overviews: Egypt Air Force". Scramble.nl. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
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