# Compass Call — Program Element 0207253F

**Program element:** 0207253F  
**Component:** U.S. Air Force  
**Appropriation:** 3600 — RDT&E, Air Force  
**Budget Activity:** 7 — Operational System Development  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0207253F

## Summary

U.S. Air Force requests $66.5M in FY2027 against nothing enacted in FY2026, sustained across the five-year plan. In the FY2027 defense authorization, the House funded it in full; the Senate funded it in full; House appropriators funded it in full. BAE Systems leads the industry work.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 116.0 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 0.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 66.5 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 67.3 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 73.6 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 85.0 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 84.7 |

> Estimate types are not summed — the profile mixes actuals, enacted law, the request, and outyear projections.

## Congressional marks (FY2027)

| Stage | Marked ($M) | Change ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| Request | 66.5 | — |
| House NDAA (HASC) | 66.5 | +0.0 |
| Senate NDAA (SASC) | 66.5 | +0.0 |
| House Approps (HAC-D) | 66.5 | +0.0 |

> FY2027 NDAA authorization marks, as of 2026-07-27. Not appropriations or final law.

## Projects (2)

| Project | Title | FY2025 actual | FY2026 enacted | FY2027 request | Move |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 674804 | Compass Call | 116.0 | 0.0 | 40.9 | — |
| 674807 | EC-37B Compass Call | 0.0 | 0.0 | 25.6 | new start |

> Projects are the summable leaves: the program element total is their sum, never added to it.

### Project 674804 — Compass Call

Compass Call is the Air Force's wide-area, standoff, Airborne Electromagnetic Attack (AEA) Command and Control Warfare/Information Operations (C2W/IO) weapon system. The employment of this weapon system interrupts the adversary's use of the electromagnetic battlespace and is a key active component in the information battlespace and prosecution of current ground and airborne threats. Compass Call's sophisticated electromagnetic attack system is capable of surgical denial and/or disruption of adversary Radio Frequency (RF) communications, radar and sensor systems. Due to rapid advances in Electromagnetic Attack (EA) techniques and technology, Compass Call is designed to be adaptable, making it well-suited for a continuous modernization strategy. Such a strategy ensures Compass Call techniques evolve at a pace capable of addressing adversary tactics and emerging technologies. The Compass Call weapon system is continuously improved using a rapid development and acquisition process supporting a spiral baseline upgrade strategy. User needs and technology insertion opportunities are continuously reviewed. As a result of technology refresh initiatives, including incorporation of open architectures, "plug and play” systems, software defined radios, and modular software development, Compass Call is implementing agile processes to support weapon system development activities. In FY 2017, the Compass Call re-host program was initiated prompting transition of mission capabilities from the legacy EC-130H airframe to an EA-37B airframe. The re-hosted Compass Call platform is based on a commercial derivative G550 aircraft holding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) for airworthiness. The platform will undergo modifications to host Compass Call's Prime Mission Equipment (PME) and antenna arrays and will receive additional STCs and Military Type Certificates (MTCs). The EA-37B aircraft will re-use PME from the EC-130H aircraft that will be upgraded to the latest Baseline. Due to the age of the EC-130H fleet, re-hosting of the PME is crucial to ensuring the longevity of this critical capability. In an effort to put capability into the warfighter's hands as soon as possible, the EA-37B program pursues concurrent developmental and production activities.

**Named R-3 performers** (share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total, so they need not reach 100%)**:** BAE Systems (1.7, 4.2%), AFLCMC (0.6, 1.5%).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline 3 and Baseline 4 Upgrade Development | 116.0 | 0.0 | 40.9 |

> R-2A activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. Coverage is partial, so count them, never total them.

### Project 674807 — EC-37B Compass Call

Compass Call is the Air Force's wide-area, standoff, Airborne Electromagnetic Attack (AEA) Command and Control Warfare/Information Operations (C2W/IO) weapon system. The employment of this weapon system interrupts the adversary's use of the electromagnetic battlespace and is a key active component in the information battlespace and prosecution of current ground and airborne threats. Compass Call's sophisticated electromagnetic attack system is capable of surgical denial and/or disruption of adversary Radio Frequency (RF) communications, radar and sensor systems. Due to rapid advances in Electromagnetic Attack (EA) techniques and technology, Compass Call is designed to be adaptable, making it well-suited for a continuous modernization strategy. Such a strategy ensures Compass Call techniques evolve at a pace capable of addressing adversary tactics and emerging technologies. The Compass Call weapon system is continuously improved using a rapid development and acquisition process supporting a spiral baseline upgrade strategy. User needs and technology insertion opportunities are continuously reviewed. As a result of technology refresh initiatives, including incorporation of open architectures, "plug and play” systems, software defined radios, and modular software development, Compass Call is implementing agile processes to support weapon system development activities. In FY 2017, the Compass Call re-host program was initiated prompting transition of mission capabilities from the legacy EC-130H airframe to an EA-37B airframe. The re-hosted Compass Call platform is based on a commercial derivative G550 aircraft holding Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) for airworthiness. The platform will undergo modifications to host Compass Call's Prime Mission Equipment (PME) and antenna arrays and will receive additional STCs and Military Type Certificates (MTCs). The EA-37B aircraft will re-use PME from the EC-130H aircraft that will be upgraded to the latest Baseline. Due to the age of the EC-130H fleet, re-hosting of the PME is crucial to ensuring the longevity of this critical capability. In an effort to put capability into the warfighter's hands as soon as possible, the EA-37B program pursues concurrent developmental and production activities.

**Named R-3 performers** (share of this project's FY2027 R-3 total, so they need not reach 100%)**:** BAE Systems (25.2, 98%).

| Activity (R-2A) | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseline 5 and Future Spiral Baseline Upgrade Development | — | — | 25.6 |

> R-2A activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. Coverage is partial, so count them, never total them.

## Where the FY2027 request goes

| Category | Share | $M |
|---|---|---|
| Industry primes | 41% | 27.5 |
| Other / unspecified | 59% | 39.0 |

**Top named industry performers:** BAE Systems ($26.9M, 40%).

> R-3 exhibit contract funding, not USAspending obligations.

## Mission & acquisition strategy

Compass Call is the Air Force's wide-area, standoff, Airborne Electromagnetic Attack (AEA) Command and Control Warfare/Information Operations (C2W/IO) weapon system. The employment of this weapon system interrupts the adversary's use of the electromagnetic battlespace and is a key active component in the information battlespace and prosecution of current ground and airborne threats. Compass Call's sophisticated electromagnetic attack system is capable of surgical denial and/or disruption of adversary Radio Frequency (RF) communications, radar and sensor systems.

Due to rapid advances in Electromagnetic Attack (EA) techniques and technology, Compass Call was designed to be adaptable, making it well-suited to a continuous modernization strategy. Such a strategy ensures Compass Call techniques evolve at a pace capable of addressing adversary tactics and emerging technologies. The Compass Call weapon system is continuously improved using a rapid development and acquisition process supporting a spiral baseline upgrade strategy. User needs and technology insertion opportunities are continuously revised.

## Related program elements

- [0603635M — Marine Corps Grnd Cmbt/Supt Sys](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603635M) (Navy)
- [0207161F — AIM-9 Product Improvement](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0207161F) (Air Force)
- [0304260F — Airborne SIGINT Enterprise](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0304260F) (Air Force)
- [0603466A — Air and Missile Defense Advanced Technology](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0603466A) (Army)

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Air Force RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-3, PE 0207253F (PB PB2027); FY2027 NDAA committee marks (as of 2026-07-27).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0207253F")`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*