The Art of Electromagnetic Attack

The EA-37B is the only aircraft in the U.S. Air Force fleet designated “EA” for electronic attack. When Air Combat Command redesignated the EC-37B to become the EA-37B in 2023, it was to better identify the platform’s mission: find, attack, and deny enemy use of the electromagnetic spectrum.

To effectively dominate the spectrum, the U.S. and its allies need precise ways to detect, target, and degrade enemy command and control networks and their ability to share information, while allowing friendly use of the spectrum.

The threat environment is complex and multi-dimensional. Today’s peer nation adversaries have more communication systems, use a broader range of the spectrum, and are rapidly adapting commercial technologies into their operations. Adversaries have anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) capabilities with kill chains that are no longer stagnant, enabled by sophisticated networked communications. These A2/AD capabilities use dynamic “C5ISRT” systems – short for Command, Control, Communications, Computer, Combat systems, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Targeting – and are increasingly complex and resilient.

The need to negate multiple targets simultaneously adds to the challenge. It’s no longer one versus one or one versus few. It’s many versus many, including complex emitters. Capacity, persistence, rapid updates, and powerful compute resources are all part of the equation.

Enter the EA-37B

Compass Call is the Department of Defense’s only long-range, stand-off, electromagnetic warfare jamming platform. The EA-37B will assume the popular name Compass Call in fiscal year 2026 or upon retirement of the EC-130H if earlier.

The EA-37B is a critical part of the electromagnetic ecosystem, with the ability to deny, degrade, and disrupt enemy command and control, communications, radars, and navigation systems, and prevent the transmission of essential information between adversaries, their weapon systems, and their control networks.

The EA-37B’s Stand-Off Jammer (SOJ) brings persistence, simultaneity, compute resources, and of course, power to the fight – enabling other aircraft to successfully execute their missions. The Compass Call mission system is a force multiplier and SOJ is the foundation of EA required to dominate the spectrum in a peer fight.

BAE Systems has provided the mission system for the EC-130H Compass Call since 1981 and is the EA-37B mission system prime contractor. The mission system has been “cross-decked” to a modern airframe in the EA-37B, providing improvements in speed, altitude, endurance, and survivability making warfighters more effective and lethal.

The mission system has retained relevancy over the years, benefitted from refreshed technology and improvements in signal processing and waveform generation. BAE Systems has also matured the system’s software-defined radio (SDR) architecture to enable rapid capability insertion so it can evolve to address new threats. It’s open architecture also enables third parties to create relevant applications.

Optimized to wreak havoc on adversary decision makers, the EA-37B weapon system provides precise, high-powered, long-range, stand-off jamming. Make it an unfair fight with the EA-37B. This is electromagnetic warfare, evolved.
 

BAE Systems is a world leader in electromagnetic warfare, with EW capabilities integrated into some of the world’s most advanced aircraft. The company has a unique perspective of the EW ecosystem, and its experts have a deep understanding of the threat environment and operational analysis, as well as tactics, techniques, and procedures.