Issue Brief #17
March 11, 2004

EC-130H Compass Call:
A textbook example of Joint Force integration at its best

During Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), much speculation appeared in the press about why Iraqi forces failed to ignite the oil facilities they had wired for destruction.  During the seizure of Al Faw, COMPASS CALL and its highly competent crew of thirteen disrupted the Iraqi regime’s control of their troops by jamming the command and control communications.  Instead of receiving orders to detonate the oil terminals, Iraqi troops heard only the ratcheting static of COMPASS CALL jamming until coalition ground troops had secured the area.  In addition to the takedown of Al Faw Peninsula, successful military operations supported by COMPASS CALL in OIF included the seizure of 4 airfields; 2 successful POW rescues; and the ground offensive from Basrah to Nasariyah, Najaf, Baghdad, and Tikrit.  In all these instances, COMPASS CALL jamming prevented a trained, experienced adversary from coordinating actions against coalition forces.

The employment of COMPASS CALL’s jamming to facilitate the rapid advance of ground forces is a textbook example of Joint Force integration at its best.  The innovative use of advanced Air Force weapons systems to complement forces on the ground averted harm to the environment and preserved economic assets vital to a new Iraqi society.

COMPASS CALL is an Offensive Counter Information (OCI) warfare system designed to deny, degrade and disrupt adversary command, control and communications systems.  COMPASS CALL was originally developed as a standoff communications jammer conducting Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD).  Main targets were early warning command and control, Surface to Air Missile (SAM) command and control, Ground Control Intercept (GCI) command and control, navigation aids and air traffic control.  Additional targets consisted of military radio systems supporting maneuver and artillery control, and echelon communications.

While still capable of performing that original role, COMPASS CALL is now able to perform many other roles against a diverse set of target signals.  This includes denial and disruption of enemy surveillance radars; denial and disruption of hostile command, control and communications being used in support of enemy ground, air or maritime operations; and denial and disruption of many modern commercial communications signals that might be employed by an adversary.

Because of its operational utility and versatility, COMPASS CALL has flown in every major engagement from Panama to Desert Storm, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and most recently Iraq.  In those engagements COMPASS CALL has demonstrated a long tradition of mission success - no American has been killed, captured, or shot down when COMPASS CALL was on station.

Another recent example of the value of the Compass Call came during Operation Enduring Freedom.  COMPASS CALL proved its ability to get into the fight quickly, literally deploying in a matter of hours and being ready to conduct combat operations in a matter of days - an order of magnitude ahead of many other weapons systems. Afghanistan, which is extremely mountainous and land-locked, stretched every weapon system and forced US Forces to execute missions at maximum effort.  Instead of suppressing enemy air defenses in support of the air war, COMPASS CALL was tasked to support ground units engaging the enemy in close combat.  Supporting ground units on deep strike missions in mountainous terrain meant COMPASS CALL could not operate from the traditional standoff orbit on the friendly side of the border.  COMPASS CALL was forced to penetrate enemy territory to provide the electronic cover needed by ground units, oftentimes orbiting within range of shoulder-fired missiles and anti-aircraft artillery.

COMPASS CALL flew in every major engagement from the beginning of the ground war in mid-October 2001 until redeployment in late March 2002.  Recognized up and down the chain of command for the critical support it brought to the fight, COMPASS CALL was designated a go/no-go asset by the CENTCOM Commander, meaning friendly forces wouldn’t go into harm’s way without COMPASS CALL jamming support.  That was consistent with the norm ever since COMPASS CALL’s first employment during Operation Just Cause in Panama, when the Army Chief of Staff declared, “The Army will never again go to war without COMPASS CALL.”

The 41^st and 43^rd Electronic Combat Squadrons, from Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, operate a total of 14 COMPASS CALL EC-130H aircraft, 10 of which are ready for war at any time.  Six of the aircraft are of the Block 20 configuration, while the remaining 8 are of the newer Block 30 configuration.  Three of the Block 30 aircraft are capable of carrying the high power, directional Special Emitter Array (SPEAR) jamming pods reportedly used to great effect during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. 

The Air Force has begun the COMPASS CALL full-fleet Block 35 upgrade, with 12 of 14 aircraft currently funded (converting an additional 2 aircraft is  #5 on the Air Force’s Unfunded Priority List.  The Block 35 configuration provides a host of capability and equipment improvements to effectively deny hostile use of the electromagnetic spectrum by today’s threats.  The Block 35 weapons system will have higher reliability, greater jamming power and an improved frequency range.  While all Block 35 aircraft will be configured to carry SPEAR (i.e., wiring in place), funding currently exists to outfit only half of the total number of aircraft with the inboard mission processing equipment and jamming pods.  Because the evolution of threats continues at a very rapid pace, it is essential to fund a pre-planned product improvement program that enables COMPASS CALL to maintain its operational edge.  I am proud of Congress’s role in providing support in recent years for these efforts and I commend the Air Force for planning the Block 35 upgrade path. 

As the Department of Defense works through its funding priorities for future years, I strongly encourage the Air Force leadership to fund all COMPASS CALL upgrades.  No one in the services or on the Hill questions that we should guarantee the availability of modernized COMPASS CALL aircraft.  Both the Air Force and the Department of Defense have placed a very high priority on upgrading this low-density / high-demand aircraft.  Now I call upon them to prioritize the funding to support that effort.

Charles F. Bass
Member of Congress

Electronic Warfare Working Group

Congressman Joe Pitts, Founder and Co-Chairman

420 Cannon House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

202 225-2411 phone    202 225-2013 fax