# US Air Force EC-130H retirement

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/us-air-force-ec-130h-retirement
> Updated: 2026-09-05T15:48:33.000Z. Sources: 8. Developments: 2.

The US Air Force has retired its final EC-130H Compass Call electronic attack aircraft. On September 2, 2026, the last aircraft, 73-1590, completed a six-hour mission departing from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.

During this final sortie, the EC-130H performed a formation flight with its successor, the EA-37B Compass Call, a Gulfstream G550-based jet. This transition marks the end of more than four decades of service for the modified C-130 Hercules, which was used to jam adversary communications, radar, and navigation signals in various combat operations including the Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

The Compass Call mission is transitioning to the EA-37B, which provides higher operating speeds and altitudes with a smaller crew. The EA-37B began being introduced in 2023 and has already conducted operations in the Indo-Pacific region.

## Timeline

### 2026-09-05: US Air Force retires final EC-130H Compass Call aircraft

The US Air Force has retired its final EC-130H Compass Call aircraft, ending a 40-year era of electronic warfare. The mission will transition to the new EA-37B, based on the Gulfstream G550.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/us-air-force-retires-final-ec-130h-compass-call-aircraft

### 2026-09-03: US Air Force retires EC-130H Compass Call after final flight

The US Air Force retired its final EC-130H Compass Call aircraft on September 2, 2026, transitioning the electronic warfare mission to the new EA-37B jet following a final formation flight in Arizona.

6 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/us-air-force-retires-ec-130h-compass-call-electronic-warfare-aircraft

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Cite as: US Air Force EC-130H retirement. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/us-air-force-ec-130h-retirement