RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom — March 31, 2026 : Two U.S. Air Force EA-37B Compass Call electronic warfare aircraft arrived at RAF Mildenhall on March 31, marking what analysts assess as the platform’s first real-world operational deployment. The aircraft, operating under callsigns AXIS41 (tail number 19-1587) and AXIS43 (tail number 17-5579), departed Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, on March 30 and conducted a refueling stop at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, before completing a transatlantic crossing.
Open-source flight tracking data and logistical movements indicate that the aircraft are expected to continue onward to Türkiye in support of Operation Epic Fury, an ongoing U.S. Central Command mission initiated on February 28, 2026.
Deployment Pattern Indicates Active Operational Tasking
The routing and coordination associated with the deployment differ from standard evaluation or demonstration flights, suggesting active operational employment. The transatlantic corridor used is typically associated with the forward movement of strategic assets into operational theaters.
Supporting logistics further reinforce this assessment. A Boeing 747-400 operated by Kalitta Air—commonly contracted by U.S. Transportation Command—was tracked arriving at Davis-Monthan and is scheduled to continue to Istanbul. The aircraft is likely transporting ground support equipment, maintenance personnel, and mission crews required to sustain EA-37B operations forward.
The EA-37B aircraft are assigned to the 55th Electronic Combat Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and are transitioning from initial operational testing toward active deployment.
Platform Overview and Technical Characteristics
The EA-37B Compass Call is a wide-area airborne electronic attack system built on a modified Gulfstream G550 business jet airframe. It replaces the legacy EC-130H Compass Call, a turboprop platform that has been in service since the 1980s.
The aircraft is powered by two Rolls-Royce BR710C4-11 turbofan engines, each producing 15,385 pounds of thrust. It has a maximum speed of Mach 0.82 (around 767 mph), an unrefueled range of about 4,410 nautical miles, a service ceiling exceeding 45,000 feet, and a maximum takeoff weight of 91,000 pounds. The crew configuration includes two pilots and up to seven mission operators.
Compared to the EC-130H, the EA-37B offers significantly improved speed, altitude, and range, enabling faster deployment, extended time-on-station, and reduced exposure to ground-based threats. Its higher operating ceiling allows for improved survivability and integration with modern strike packages.
Advanced Electronic Warfare Capabilities
The EA-37B operates across the electromagnetic spectrum to disrupt adversary systems, focusing on command-and-control networks, radar, communications, navigation, and sensor integration. Its mission falls under Counter-Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Targeting (Counter-C5ISRT).
The platform provides standoff jamming capabilities, allowing it to conduct pre-strike electromagnetic shaping and real-time disruption during operations. It can degrade coordination between surface-to-air missile systems, interfere with drone command links, and disrupt the transmission of targeting data for missile forces.
The aircraft incorporates a System-Wide Open Reconfigurable Dynamic Architecture (SWORD-A), enabling rapid updates to software and payload systems. This includes integration with adaptive electronic warfare tools such as BAE Systems’ Small Adaptive Bank of Electronic Resources (SABER), designed to counter evolving adversary emitters and communication technologies.
The EA-37B is designed to operate alongside intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platforms such as the RC-135 Rivet Joint, enabling a near-real-time cycle of detection, analysis, and electronic attack against critical network nodes.
Role Within Operation Epic Fury
Operation Epic Fury, directed by the U.S. President and executed by U.S. Central Command, targets Iranian military infrastructure, including command-and-control centers, integrated air defense systems, ballistic missile facilities, unmanned aerial systems, and communication networks.
Iranian military doctrine relies on distributed command structures, integrated air defense networks, and radio-frequency-dependent drone operations. The EA-37B’s capabilities are aligned with efforts to disrupt these systems by targeting the underlying electromagnetic architecture rather than physical platforms alone.
Its deployment enhances the ability to degrade coordinated air defense responses, reduce the effectiveness of drone operations, and limit the transmission of targeting and operational data across Iranian military networks.
Strategic Importance of Forward Positioning in Türkiye
The anticipated deployment to Türkiye provides geographic proximity to multiple operational areas, including the Middle East and surrounding regions, while maintaining access to NATO infrastructure.
Positioning the EA-37B in Türkiye allows for flexible operational reach, shorter mission response times, and integration with allied forces. It also reflects a broader emphasis on electromagnetic spectrum operations as a central component of modern military strategy.
An earlier EA-37B visit to Europe in January 2026 included stops at Ramstein Air Base, Spangdahlem Air Base, and RAF Mildenhall as part of a familiarization effort with U.S. Air Forces in Europe and NATO allies. The current deployment differs in both timing and context, indicating movement toward operational employment rather than engagement or demonstration.
Program Status and Fleet Development
The U.S. Air Force plans to acquire up to 10 EA-37B aircraft. As of May 2025, five aircraft had been delivered. The first aircraft entered testing in September 2023, followed by the start of pilot training in August 2024. The 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron conducted the first mission training sortie in May 2025.
Initial operational capability for the EA-37B is scheduled for fiscal year 2026. The platform was redesignated from EC-37B to EA-37B in November 2023 to reflect its primary electronic attack mission.
Transition Toward Operational Employment
The current deployment marks a transition phase for the EA-37B from development and testing into operational use. While the U.S. Air Force has not officially confirmed mission specifics or final basing beyond observed movements, the deployment pattern, logistical support, and operational context indicate active tasking within an ongoing theater.
The integration of the EA-37B into Operation Epic Fury reflects the increasing role of electronic warfare in contemporary military operations, particularly in environments characterized by networked defense systems and distributed command structures.
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