The US Air Force has flown the EC-130H Compass Call for the last time, ending more than four decades of front-line electronic attack service from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona. The final sortie took place on 2 September, with the 55th Wing’s 55th Electronic Combat Group overseeing the aircraft’s last operational flight as the service shifts the mission to the newer EA-37B.
The retirement removes the ageing turboprop from the electronic warfare fleet and accelerates the transition to a G550-based replacement designed to take over the Compass Call mission. Images from the finale showed an EA-37B alongside the last EC-130H flight, underlining the handover between the legacy platform and its successor.
A formal retirement ceremony is scheduled for 18 September at Davis-Monthan. The EC-130H has served for more than 40 years and became a key part of the Air Force’s airborne electronic attack capability, while the EA-37B is now moving into the role as the service modernises the mission.