Compass Call
Abstract
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 adversary's use of the electromagnetic battlespace and is a key active component in the information battlespace and prosecution of Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO). 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. The Compass Call system was fielded in 1983 and employs an incremental development and fielding strategy that puts capability into the warfighter's hands as soon as practical and ensures each iteration of the weapon system is effective against the highest priority threats such as military and commercial communications, command and control operations, and new/emerging sensors. Due to the rapid advances in electronic attack techniques and technology, Compass Call was designed to be adaptable and must continuously modernize and evolve to keep pace with adversary tactics and emerging technologies. Development funding is required to perform trade studies, accomplish system upgrades and associated test activities, and develop and test Quick Reaction Capabilities (QRCs). The EC-130H Baseline 2 (BL2) configuration and the EC-130H mid-Baseline 2 (MBL2) enhancements are the latest in a line of fielded mission system upgrades to the EC-130H. The re-hosted Compass Call platform is based on a commercially-available modified G550 aircraft that already holds Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) for airworthiness. The platform will undergo modifications to host Compass Call's PME and antenna arrays and receive additional STCs and Military Type Certificates (MTCs). The EC-37B aircraft utilize PME harvested from the EC-130H aircraft and upgraded to the latest Baseline. The EC-37B program is highly concurrent with developmental and procurement activities occurring in parallel. The current Compass Call program of record as of end Q2 FY2022 includes the following resources: seven (7) Primary Mission Aircraft Inventory (PMAI), Combat Support coded (CA) EC-130H aircraft, one (1) Backup Aircraft Inventory (BAI), Training coded (TF) TC-130H trainer aircraft, one (1) EC-130H Weapon System Trainer (WST, flight deck simulator), and two (2) Compass Call Mission Crew Simulators (CCMCS). Seven (7) EC-130H aircraft have been divested between FY2018 and FY2022. One (1) EC-130H aircraft will retire in Q4 FY2023. One (1) more EC-130H is due to retire in Q1 FY2024. Due to the age of the EC-130H fleet (average is 47 years) the re-hosting of the Prime Mission Equipment (PME) is crucial to ensuring the survival of this critical capability. EC-37B BL3 updates existing, fielded MBL2 capabilities, while significantly increasing operating altitude and standoff distances through re-host onto a new airframe. Incremental low band capability has been added to BL3 through the extension of an existing frequency band. BL4 transitions the software baseline to an agile software framework, implements System-Wide Open Reconfigurable Dynamic Architecture (SWORD-A) to enable rapid integration of new capabilities offering increased target capacity, and addresses diminishing manufacturing sources (DMS). RDT&E efforts concentrate on BL4 development and test activities, maturation of AEA technologies, and trade studies for future Baselines. Activities encompassed within the PME upgrade may include, but are not limited to: aircraft system integration, assembly, test and checkout, mission system upgrades, external communications upgrades, obsolescence resolution, software development, systems engineering, test and evaluation, flight test, training systems, training events, support equipment, and Program Support Costs (PSC). Specific mission system developmental activities include studies and analyses for future capabilities and baselines; maturation of higher Technology Readiness Level (TRL) technologies for future insertion; QRC application development for integration onto the Compass Call Software Defined Radio (SDR) capability; power expansion; transmit and receive development; size, weight, power and cooling (SWAP-C) reductions; implementation of obsolescence and DMS/vanishing vendor items (VVI) that drive developmental redesign of impacted hardware; transition of Compass Call PME to open architecture complaint standards; and continued migration of the Compass Call Operating System (CCOS) to an agile software construct. Compass Call funding also supports innovation activities to include studies, analyses, requirements definition, and quick-reaction capability prototypes/demonstrations to accelerate planning for technology transition, technology insertion, and future acquisition programs. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such programs funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605827F, 0605828F, 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605832F, 0605833F, 0605898F, 0606398F. In FY2022 0.0M was expended for civilian pay expenses in this program element, and in FY2023 0.0M is forecasted for civilian pay expenses in this program element.” This program is in Budget Activity 7, Operational System Development because this budget activity includes development efforts to upgrade systems that have been fielded or have received approval for full rate production and anticipate production funding in the current or subsequent fiscal year.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Project
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2023
- Source ID
- 674804_0207253F_7_3600_PB_2023
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- Root: Compass Call
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- Child Cost Item: dc2feed8934a595afe62043024e4fe8d