Italy Signs Contract For Two EA-37B Compass Call Electronic Warfare Aircraft
L3Harris Technologies has received a $300 million contract for the production of two EA-37B Compass Call electronic warfare aircraft for the Italian Air Force, the first export order ever for the electronic warfare aircraft.
Built from a Gulfstream G550 business jet, the EA-37Bs will “provide the Italian Air Force with an airborne jamming ability with range, altitude and endurance to disrupt enemy command and control communications, radars and navigation systems from an extended distance”.
While L3Harris did not provide any information on when the aircraft will be completed, it says the completed aircraft will join the Italian military’s fleet of special mission aircraft alongside the Joint Airborne Multi-Mission Multi-Sensor System (JAMMS), with the company currently modifying two G550 ISR aircraft under JAMMS.
“We are expanding our support of Italy’s armed forces by equipping them with modern mission technology ready for managing a dynamic global landscape,” said Jason Lambert, President, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, L3Harris. “Our team will provide Italy with solutions to augment its national security and increase its interoperability with the U.S. and strategic allies.”
As part of work on the aircraft, L3Harris has issued a $12 million contract to BAE Systems, which will install equipment including racks, radomes, cables, and harnesses to “prepare” for the installation of the EA-37Bs’ electronic warfare systems.
“This modification work is a critical step toward delivering advanced EA capabilities to the Italian Air Force,” said Cory Casalegno, director for Coalition Electronic Attack at BAE Systems. “Providing high-powered, long-range jamming capabilities to an important U.S. ally broadens the strength of the global allied fleet and supports the mission of the U.S. Air Force.”
The EA-37B is in the process of entering service with the U.S. Air Force, with the first training mission taking place in May. The EA-37B is replacing the EC-130H Compass Call in the U.S. Air Force’s long range “standoff” electronic warfare mission, with 10 aircraft currently on order to replace the EC-130H fleet that was retired in 2014.