Iran Hits Rare American EC-130H Compass Call Aircraft — What They Are Used For

Iranian ballistic missiles damaged two US EC-130H Compass Call electronic warfare aircraft.

Aviation observer Babak Taghvaee reported this, citing satellite images of Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.

According to available information, both aircraft require repairs to return to service, with one of them reportedly seriously damaged.

The EC-130H is a relatively rare platform: at the time of the incident, only a limited number remained in service. The strike may further reduce their operational availability.

It was also previously reported that, as part of the same attack, Iran destroyed an E-3 Sentry airborne early warning and control aircraft.

BREAKING: Unfortunately, two of the world’s last operational EC-130H Compass Call aircraft of the United States Air Force, deployed at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia, have also been damaged as a result of a ballistic missile strike by the IRGC Aerospace Force.

Both… pic.twitter.com/99bJtBVflX

— Babak Taghvaee – The Crisis Watch (@BabakTaghvaee1) March 27, 2026

The strike injured more than 10 service members, two of them seriously. In addition, several tanker aircraft were damaged.

EC-130H Compass Call

The EC-130H Compass Call is a US electronic warfare aircraft based on the C-130 Hercules transport platform and designed to disrupt enemy communications, command and control systems.

The Compass Call program was launched toward the end of the Cold War to provide electronic warfare capabilities without direct kinetic engagement. The first modernized aircraft entered service with the US Air Force in the early 1980s. The primary operator was the 55th Electronic Warfare Group, based at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base.

EC-130H aircraft were used in US military operations, including the Gulf War, as well as in Yugoslavia, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

In total, about 14 EC-130H Compass Call aircraft were built. Over time, they underwent multiple upgrades, including improvements to electronic warfare systems, signal processing equipment and operator workstations.

Despite their effectiveness, by the 2020s the platform had become increasingly outdated. As a result, the US starte gradually replacing the EC-130H with the newer EC-37B Compass Call, based on the Gulfstream G550 business jet.

Characteristics:

• Base platform: C-130 Hercules
• Length: about 29.8 m
• Wingspan: 40.4 m
• Maximum take-off weight: over 70 t
• Engines: 4 × Allison T56 turboprop engines
• Maximum speed: about 540 km/h
• Cruising speed: about 480 km/h
• Range: over 4,000 km (depending on mission profile)
• Crew: about 10–15 personnel (flight crew and electronic warfare operators)