A US Air Force EA-37B Compass Call aircraft has arrived at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, marking its first appearance in the European theater.
The aircraft, assigned to the 55th Electronic Combat Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, touched down on January 26 as part of a scheduled European roadshow.
Additional planned stops include Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany and RAF Mildenhall in the UK.
The visits aim to familiarize airmen, units, and NATO partners with the new electronic warfare platform, US Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) said.
The EA-37B replaces the aging EC-130H Compass Call, which has served since the early 1980s.
The transition to the new platform is part of a broader air force effort to modernize airborne electromagnetic spectrum operations as potential adversaries invest in more advanced communications, navigation, and sensor networks.
The EA-37B Compass Call Aircraft
Based on the Gulfstream G550 business jet, the EA-37B offers greater range, speed, and reliability than the EC-130H, while carrying a modernized electronic attack mission system developed under the Compass Call rehost program.
The aircraft disrupts and degrades enemy command-and-control systems, communications, and radar to support joint and coalition operations.
Before Europe, the EA-37B conducted similar roadshows in the Indo-Pacific, helping train crews and integrate the aircraft into operational planning.
The European visits come amid NATO’s focus on contested electromagnetic environments and deterrence, particularly given the war in Ukraine.
USAFE said the aircraft will continue its roadshow at additional locations before returning to the US.
The EC-130H fleet will gradually retire as the EA-37B assumes full operational duties, with initial operational capability expected as more aircraft and trained crews come online.
