Enduring Freedom Saw Shift In Compass Call Mission Defense Daily, April 15, 2002 The Lockheed Martin (LMT) EC-130H Compass Call jamming aircraft had a large role in jamming enemy ground communications during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), a role that represents an evolution of the plane's mission from one that in recent conflicts primarily supported strike aircraft to one that supports U.S. ground forces, program officials said Friday. The United States "didn't start putting anybody on the ground until we showed up," Air Force Capt. Chris Kirschman, information warfare operations action officer at Air Combat Command (ACC), told Defense Daily during a telephone interview Friday. "Our priority this time around was the ground forces because they were going in at much higher risk than our aircraft...We were a go, no go item. Commanders considered us so important that they didn't want to press forward unless they had our support." Kirschmann recently returned from OEF where he served as an electronic warfare officer assigned to the 41st Electronic Combat Squadron. When enemy forces shot down a Boeing (BA) MH-47 in March during Operation Anaconda, "we did not have a Compass Call flying that night," he said. "Our folks were disappointed and surprised and eager to get back into the fight." Compass Call, 13 of which are based at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz, are specialized for radar and communications jamming and have a mission crew of nine. A 14th plane is a test aircraft. The Air Force used Compass Call during the 1991 Persian Gulf War and the Balkan conflict to disrupt enemy tactical and strategic level communications, but OEF represented a shift to a ground-intensive jamming mission in which the planes came under fire. Because of the mountainous terrain in Afghanistan, the standoff distance for Compass Call decreased, Kirschmann said. "We had to place our aircraft at much higher risk because of the geography," he said. On one mission, anti-aircraft artillery (AAA) skirted by the nose of the Compass Call which Kirschmann was aboard, he said, and aircraft risked coming under AAA and small arms fire on missions. Despite the lack of an enemy Integrated Air Defense System in Afghanistan, the Northrop Grumman (NOC) EA-6B was used in a communications jamming role. The EA-6B was able to use its USQ-113 communications countermeasures set, which is made by Britain's BAE SYSTEMS, in that role. Compass Call was able to designate communications targets for the EA-6B during OEF. "Communications jamming became the only game in town when it came to EW," Kirschmann said.

During Allied Force against Serbia in 1999, the Compass Calls performed a more traditional jamming role, flying Suppression of Enemy Air Defense Missions to clear the way for strike aircraft missions. But OEF "was a non-conventional campaign," Kirschmann said. Boeing B-1 and B-52 bombers and C-130 aircraft, like the Compass Call and EC-130E Commando Solo psychological operations aircraft, were major players in OEF. With the Block 35 upgrade, the Compass Call is to become more capable of low-frequency, early warning and acquisition radar jamming to fill a possible gap between the coming retirement of the EA-6Bs and a follow-on platform. Receiving funds to modernize all 14 Compass Calls to the Block 35 configuration is the top need for the aircraft, said Bruce Pickerill, Science Applications International Corp.'s system program coordinator for Compass Call at ACC. Funds are sufficient to fund 11 Block 35 aircraft, he said. "Another issue for us is we would like to be Link 16 and other data link-capable. Now we have no data link capability on Compass Call," Pickerill said. Such data links would enable the aircraft to receive communications targets from computer systems. The current method of transmitting such targets to Compass Call using voice communications slows the targeting of such communications nodes "considerably," Pickerill said. Among the Block 35 upgrades are a Tactical Radio Acquisition and Countermeasures Subsystem (TRACS) by BAE (Defense Daily, Mar. 19). TRACS, a digital reprogrammable receiver, is to replace Compass Call's aging 1970s-era receiver suite and is to have an expanded frequency range against communications targets. The current compressive receiver "has a lot of calibration and vanishing vendor problems," Pickerill said. TRACS is to be fielded on the first Compass Call in FY '05. Aerospace Daily: Afghanistan Highlights New Operations, Tactics For Compass Call Aerospace Daily, May 23, 2002 By Sharon Weinberger Flying in a high threat environment with no self-protection equipment, the EC-103H Compass Call squadron relied on basic avoidance tactics to counter a possible attack from the ground, according to service officials. During Operation Enduring Freedom, the EC-130H aircraft were flying well within the threat envelope of man-portable surface-to-air Stinger missiles, according to Lt. Col. Bill Reaves, an operations officer for Compass Call. Because the aircraft have no way to

protect themselves, or even to detect whether a radar is tracking them, the squadron relied on operating at night with the aircraft blacked out. Additionally, "we did a lot of target study, and hopefully knew where the pockets of resistance would be," Reaves told AviationNow.com affiliate Aerospace Daily May 21 at Andrews Air Force Base, Md. Compass Call is operated by the 355th Wing's 41st and 43rd Electronic Combat Squadrons at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. During recent operations over Afghanistan, Compass Call flew 108 combat missions totaling more than 1,000 hours. Compass Call's mission in Afghanistan required flying in a high threat environment. The aircraft typically support destruction of an integrated enemy air defense system by jamming communications. As a secondary role, Compass Call also can perform radar jamming. During Operation Enduring Freedom, however, there wasn't an integrated air defense system and Compass Call was flown almost exclusively to protect ground troops by blocking enemy communications and preventing the Taliban and Al Qaeda from coordinating an attack. Flying these missions in the rough terrain of Afghanistan required exposing the aircraft to more threats than usual, according to Capt. Chris Kirschman, an electronic warfare officer at Air Combat Command. "Up till now, Compass Call traditionally flew just outside of the [range of] threats," Kirschman told reporters. "But because of the geography, space and distances, we had to expose ourselves to threats for the first time, loitering within ranges of Stinger missiles and at times taking fire from [anti-aircraft artillery] AAA." New Self-protection Requirement The EC-130H lacks even basic self-protection equipment, except for the ability of an on-board linguist to intercept communications indicating the aircraft is being targeted. The Air Force is looking at providing Compass Call with Directed Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM), according to officials. The new requirement reflects the Air Force's anticipation of flying similar operations in the ongoing war against terrorism, Reaves explained. "The threats don't tend to be all that high-tech," he said of the new missions, and Stinger-type missiles are a “continuing concern." "It's been approved," Reaves said of the countermeasure requirement, and now it's just a matter of funding allocation. Lt. Col. Bob Johnson, a program manager for Compass Call, said that because of the cost, the DIRCM arc lamp used to jam missiles would not be installed. Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems are the prime contractors for DIRCM. New Mission Equipment

Operation Enduring Freedom also saw the first use of the newly installed Special Emitter Array Pod, known as Spear. The new pods developed by BAE Systems are part of the aircraft's Block 30 upgrade and feature phased array jamming capabilities designed to attack a wider range of communications systems. Company and service officials won't discuss the frequencies that the new pods cover, but they do say that the goal it to hit the most modern - and particularly commercial - communications systems. Further upgrades are underway. On March 13, 2002, BAE Systems was awarded a $53 million contract to provide improvements and support for the Spear pods and other equipment as part of the Block 35 upgrades. USAF Describes Compass Call Mission in Afghanistan The Knowles Report, May 29, 2002 Air Force officials have disclosed some of the details about the communications jamming role of the EC-130H Compass Call aircraft during Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan. During the conflict, two Compass Call aircraft adapted their mission from suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) to a broader command and control warfare (C2W) role supporting ground troops. Capt Chris Kirschman, an electronic warfare officer who flew on Compass Call missions with the 41st Electronic Combat Squadron (Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ) during OEF, explained how the two EC-130H aircraft jammed enemy communications during several ground battles. Typically, the Compass Call is used to detect and jam communications within an enemy's integrated air defense system (IADS). In Afghanistan, however, the SEAD campaign was brief and left the Compass Call available for other missions. The two Compass Call aircraft sent to Afghanistan were equipped with new Special Emitter Array (SPEAR) pods from BAE Systems IEWS (Nashua, NH). Developed under an advanced concept technology demonstration in response to lessons learned from Operation Allied Force in 1999, the SPEAR pods were nearing the end of their engineering and manufacturing development program when they were deployed to Afghanistan with the two Block 30 Compass Call aircraft. The 1,200-lb. SPEAR pod, which measures 208-in. long with a 38-in. diameter, houses 144 discrete elements that are combined into an electronically scanned array. This enables the SPEAR pod to provide extremely focused stand-off jamming against selected communications targets. During the opening phases of the conflict, the Compass Call, as well as the Navy's EA-6B Prowlers, targeted military and commercial communications systems used by the Taliban. By jamming selected frequencies, the Compass Call were able to "herd" the Taliban communications into a small number of "open" frequencies, which not only impacted their command and control systems but also simplified the job of allied communications intelligence (COMINT) operators.

After the Taliban army collapsed in the field, the Compass Call aircraft continued to support the allied pursuit of hardcore Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters in the mountainous eastern areas of the country. These enemy forces still retained some military radios, as well as commercial walkie-talkies and cell phones. During these operations, the jamming provided by the Compass Call aircraft gave a tremendous advantage to allied ground troops as they advanced against enemy positions in the mountains near the Pakistan border. According to one Compass Call crew member, some of the enemy commanders eventually determined their communications were being jammed and had to direct their troops via handwritten notes. This made it extremely difficult for the enemy forces to set up ambushes and respond to allied troop movements. Toward the end of their deployment, the two Compass Call aircraft supported allied ground troops during Operation Anaconda in the Shah-i-Kot Mountains of eastern Afghanistan. Because the enemy forces were scattered among the mountainsides and in the valleys in between, the aircrews determined that they would have to fly directly over the combat area and within range of enemy anti-aircraft artillery and IR surface-to-air missiles. As a stand-off jamming platform, the Compass Call aircraft are not equipped with any self-protection EW equipment, and the mission put the aircrews at risk. But the Compass Call crews determined that it was important to support the ground forces throughout the battle. Based on lessons learned during OEF, the aircrews said two specific upgrades would improve the Compass Call's capabilities. The first improvement would be the installation of a self-protection suite for each aircraft. The Air Force Special Operations Command has invested heavily in a robust RF and IR self-protection suite for its C-130s, and the Air Force's 13 Compass Call aircraft could leverage elements of that suite. However, some additional integration work would be required to ensure compatibility between the electronic attack mission equipment and the self-protection equipment. The aircrews also said that better data links would improve the Compass Call mission. The Block 30 aircraft are equipped with HF/VHF/UHF communications systems, including SATCOM receivers and Have Quick UHF radios. However, these primarily provide voice communications, and a Link 16 radio would make it easier to receive data messages from other platforms. The Compass Call deployment to Afghanistan demonstrated that the EC-130H has made the transition from the Cold War to the war on terrorism, according to one Compass Call crewmember. The stand-in jamming role played by the Compass Call during OEF also may spur the Air Force to consider a UAV-based communications jamming capability that would complement the Compass Call in a stand-off orbit. The stand-off/stand-in EA architecture was determined optimal for the radar support jamming mission based on the Airborne Electronic Attack Analysis of Alternatives Study, and it could be applied to the Compass Call mission. This summer, the Air Force plans to begin modifying its six Compass Call Block 20 aircraft, which are in service with the 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron, to the more

robust Block 35 configuration. BAE Systems is performing the Block 35 mission equipment integration work, as well as supplying the low- and mid-band receivers and jammers. Other companies that support the Compass Call program include Raytheon (Fort Wayne, IN), which is responsible for the aircraft's Enhanced High-Band Subsystem jammer, and General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems (Mountain View, CA), which provides the aircraft's Enhanced Data Processor Subsystem. Lockheed Martin Skunk Works (Palmdale, CA) is the EC-130H integrator and provides testing support. The SPEAR pods will be part of the Block 35 baseline, and BAE Systems is currently working under a $13.7 million Air Force contract to improve the pod's capabilities. This includes extending the coverage and upgrading in-board technique generator hardware and software to jam low-band radars. Till their ears bleed: Compass Call's contributions to the war on terror; working along with the much-touted EA-6B Prowler, the EC-130H Compass Call proved to be a critical part of Operation Enduring Freedom Journal of Electronic Defense, July 1, 2002 By Kernan Chaisson An EC-130H Compass Call aircraft returning from Operation Enduring Freedom visited Andrews AFB, MD, in late May. The crew -- from the 41st Electronic Combat Squadron (ECS), 355th Wing, DavisMonthan AFB, AZ -- gave JED a tour of the aircraft and briefings on the 100+ missions flown by two Compass Calls in Afghanistan. "There was only rudimentary infrastructure in the country, forcing communications to be via radio and cell phone, so the robust jammer was able to severely disrupt the communications of al Qaeda and the Taliban," Capt Chris Kirshman, EW Operations Action Officer at HQ Air Combat Command, said. "This forced them to rely on passed notes, frequently making coordinated operations impossible and delaying their ability to respond to attacks by US forces." Compass Call operated in concert with the AN/USQ-l 13(V)s of the EA-6B Prowlers, since there was no air-defense radar net to speak of for the Prowlers to take down. The two made a good team, with Compass Call linguists providing valuable inputs on selecting jamming targets to the Prowler crews. During most missions, the EC-130Hs focused on discrete, individual targets, while the AN/USQ-113(V)s worked over broader parts of a net, the operators explained. The standard Compass Call crew consists of a normal C-130 flight crew of four, one EW Officer/Mission Commander, a Cryptologic Linguist/Mission Crew Supervisor, and one High-Band Operator to run the Rivet Fire countermeasures suite. One Special Signals Analyst, four linguists, and an Airborne Maintenance Technician round out the crew of 13. Linguists of the 41st ECS speak Spanish, Arabic, and Farsi, while the 43rd specializes in Chinese, Russian, and Serbo-Croatian. For special missions, Compass Call can borrow other language specialists, such as the Creole-speakers they got from the Army to support the intervention in Haiti.

Compass Call contributes to the "fog of war" and attacks the enemy's ability to control and marshal his forces. With EC-l30Hs on station and land lines cut by bombing, the effect on enemy communications can be devastating, Kirshman explained, and Compass Call has proven its worth against air-to-air communications. Its successes reinforced the informal motto of Compass Call: "Till their ears bleed." A special aspect of the Afghan missions was the SPEAR (Special Emitter Array) pods carried by the aircraft. This is a new, special-purpose, very-high-power jamming pod that was moved quickly from development to operation for the war on terrorism. There were only enough pods to outfit three aircraft (two per EC-130H), and it took some intense last-minute work by BAE Systems (Nashua, NH) and the Air Force to field the capability. But like the aircraft, which deployed on two-day's notice, the pods were made ready and proved their worth operationally. According to Mike Powell, BAE Systems' SPEAR development engineer, the SPEAR effort began in the mid-1990s with a contract to develop one prototype shipset (two pods). This was followed by a 1997 order for two more shipsets, and a retrofit upgrade of the original R&D pods. In November of last year, the Air Force awarded a $13.7-million contract to extend the frequency range, plus an order for one more shipset of pods and upgrades to the onboard technique-generation hardware and software. Future plans for the EC-130Hs do not include new aircraft, such as switching to the C-130], according to Lt. Col. Bob Jackson. the Air Material Command's Compass Call program manager. Planners are being considered for upgrading to C-130 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) standard -- which upgrades the cockpit, radar, and navigation system -- by FY06 or FY07. Air Force plans are to procure ten more shipsets of SPEAR pods over the next four years. Depending on available funding, planners hope to acquire the hardware as quickly as possible so they can be installed during aircraft depot maintenance cycles. Earlier upgrades changed the configuration of the original Block 20 aircraft to Block 30, featuring more automation and a physical layout that makes it possible to access the backs of operator consoles while in flight to facilitate maintenance. The 43rd ECS still flies Block 20 aircraft. A new Block 35 upgrade will include Group B kits. which bring all thirteen aircraft to the Block 30 standard, with additional upgrades to the receiving system. The highest priority, according to Jackson, is adding infrared (IR) countermeasures to the aircraft. Budget considerations may limit the installations to the missile-warning system and chaff/flare dispensers. A desired but costly procurement of directed IR countermeasures (DIRCM) will probably be put on hold. The key would be to get some kind of protection as soon as possible, because the Afghan missions proved that Compass Call will be called on to go in harm's way. EC-130Hs currently carry no defensive countermeasures or warning equipment. In the past, the aircraft orbited well back from enemy lines, out of danger from anti-aircraft artillery or surface-to-air missiles. The Compass Call crews in Afghanistan felt that since they were exposed to threats by

operating in a theater with no real "rear area," they should have appropriate self- protection systems. Because of the success of the aircraft, Compass Call became a Go/No-Go consideration for mission launch. EC-130Hs took part in all major operations, including the rescue of the two relief workers from the Taliban. In FY02, Compass Call received $12 million as part of the Defense Emergency Relief Fund (DERF). This would begin integration of the "Project Suter" capability to link RC-135 Rivet Joint with Compass Call through the procurement of Airborne Information Transfer (ABIT) datalinks in FY02. Begun in January 2000, this effort has evaluated the synergistic effects of integrating the intelligence collectors. Compass Calls returning to upgrades Journal of Electronic Defense, June 1, 2003 By Brendan P Rivers After almost six months and more than 220 sorties totaling nearly 2,000 combat flying hours and jamming more than 6,000 enemy signals in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the 41st Electronic Combat Squadron (ECS) was on its way home to Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, at press time. And when the airmen get home, their EC-130H Compass Call aircraft will be getting ready for a significant upgrade. Though they reportedly performed very well during Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Compass Call aircraft won't remain as they are for long. BAE Systems (Nashua, NH) was recently awarded a contract for integration and laboratory testing of the new Block 35 mission equipment, developed by the company under a previous contract (see "Compass Call Moving to Block 35," JED, August 2001, p. 34). Block 35 systems will replace existing subsystem capabilities for signal acquisition and analysis, including the Tactical Radio Acquisition Countermeasures System, signal-processing improvements, and enhancements to the radio-frequency distribution system. The communications jammers on the planes will also be upgraded, said Jim Martin, director of Compass Call for BAE Systems. Martin said the upgrade would encompass the replacement of obsolete equipment; a "rather substantial" upgrade to the man-machine interface; extension of frequency coverage in both the high and low bands, including the installation of a new digital acquisition system; additional subsystems to enable greater automation; and integrating the new Special Emitter Array (SPEAR) jamming pods. The latter are already installed on three aircraft and were used to reportedly great effect in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan (see "Till Their Ears Bleed. Compass Call's Contributions to the War on Terror," JED, July 2002, p. 22). The US Air Force currently has a fleet of 13 Compass Call aircraft in active service, split between the 41st ECS and the 43rd ECS, with another that has been used as something of a testbed aircraft and that will enter active service this summer. All of these, Martin said, will be upgraded to the Block 35 standard, a goal which he expects will be reached sometime in 2008.

Missions In Afghanistan Took EC-130Hs Over Threat Areas Air Force Times, June 3, 2002, page 20 By David Castellon, Times staff writer ANDREWS AIR FORCE BASE, Md. -When members of the 35th Wing headed to the Middle East in September aboard a pair of EC-130H Compass Call planes, the airmen with the communications-jamming unit knew this mission would be different from previous ones. That was obvious as the airmen onboard looked at maps of Afghanistan, a landlocked country peppered with potential threats from Taliban and al-Qaida forces. Compass Call planes can jam aircraft and ground communications without flying over high-threat areas, said Maj. Tom Blalock, an electronics warfare officer for the 355th at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. But for Operation Enduring Freedom, the only way to get close enough to effectively baffle communications was to fly over the threat areas or at least on the “jagged edge" of those areas. "We've never done that before," Blalock said. Most of the airmen had never flown a combat mission. Members of the 355th said 80 per cent to 90 percent of the nearly 200 members who deployed to the Middle East saw their first combat. A few flew in the final days of Operation Allied Force. Only a handful of wing members flew in the Persian Gulf War a decade ago, Blalock said. During the Arizona wing's two deployments in Operation Enduring Freedom - from late September to January and from January to mid-March - planes from the unit flew about 1,000 hours in 108 sorties over Afghanistan. Much of that time, the plane had to be "loitering within range of Stinger missiles" or close enough that some enemy ground forces tried to shoot them down with machine-gun and cannon fire, said Capt. Chris Kirschm, another electronics warfare officer. He made the comments to a group of reporters gathered inside a hangar here May 21. In the hangar sat one of the EC-130Hs that 355th members flew in Enduring Freedom. The plane had been on display the weekend before for Andrews' annual air show. "There was a lot of military traffic" by the enemy at the start of the war, Kirschman said. By December and January, that dropped considerably as NATO troops planes took out enemy hideouts, Blalock added. In fact, Kirschman said, intelligence sources reported that Taliban and al-Qaida forces resorted, at times, to communicating by passing paper notes to one another, an extremely slow, inefficient method given the miles and harsh terrain separated stronghold. Besides radio traffic, the EC-130Hsjammed cell phone transmissions. But that communication

system was so new and poorly developed in Afghanistan that it's unlikely many of the enemy had wireless phones, Blalock said. Theater commanders often insisted that the EC-130Hs be part of combat missions to confound the enemy forces' ability to communicate with one another or they would scrub the operations entirely, Kirschman said. One mission the E -130Hs missed was during the first two days of Operation Anaconda in March, which was the costliest for U.S. troops, eight of who were killed. On the third day of the operation, a Compass Call plane was sent up to support the rescue of troops from a downed MH-47 Chinook helicopter. But that didn't go as planned. The rescue took so long that the jamming plane had to land and refuel during the mission, Blalock said. Air threats weren’t a problem, as the al-Qaida and Taliban had no air force. So the nine electronic warfare officers, linguists and others in the back of the planes focused on jamming ground communications to stymie efforts by enemy troops to organize against U.S and NATO ground troops. Jamming ground communications normally is a secondary mission for the 355th members, who focus most of their training on jamming aircraft communications. While doing exclusively ground support didn't present technical problems, Blalock said the rear aircrew members - who train predominantly with the Navy - had some problems understanding the jargon of soldiers on the ground. As a result, the wing likely will put more emphasis on ground-support training in the future. One of the wing members who experienced his first combat flight was Capt. Jeff Graham, a 355th pilot. He couldn't recall the number of times the planes he flew were shot at during his 20 missions over Afghanistan. Compass Call plates have no defensive devices such as chaff or electronic warning systems to alert the crews of an approaching missile or other threat. So Graham and his crew knew they'd been shot at the old-fashioned way: they looked out the windows. Graham said he often saw cannon shells explode in the air or tracer bullets erupt upward from machine guns. "It's not like you were scared or anything. We knew we had a mission to do. At times it was nerve-wracking.” The EC-130Hs flew high enough that the ground fire usually was miles off target, he said. Air Combat Command is hoping to relieve some of that stress in future missions by putting its support behind initiative to install defensive countermeasures - chaff, flares and warning systems – on the 13 Compass Call planes, at a cost of about $1.5 million apiece.

"It is approved as requirement ...which means the Air Force offcially recognizes it as something we want to have,” said Maj. George Sherman, the Air Force's program element monitor for Compass Call. Invisible Support: Air Force Communications-Jamming Aircraft Aided US Special Operations Forces In Afghanistan Armed Forces Journal International August 2002, Pg.70 By Glenn w. Goodman, Jr. The handful of small US Army Special Forces teams that played an instrumental role in routing Taliban and al Qaeda forces in Afghanistan last fall (June AFJI) received significant unsung support from two US Air Force EC-130H Compass Call aircraft from the 41st Electronic Combat Squadron. The communications-jamming and information warfare aircraft, which deployed to the Afghanistan theater in the last week of September, returned to the US in May after conducting 108 missions. In a departure from the aircraft's traditional role of jamming air- defense system communications in support of tactical aircraft strikes, the two EC-130Hs played a large role in jamming ground force communications traffic, including cellular telephones, to disrupt Taliban and al Qaeda activities during Operation Enduring Freedom. The aircraft also served as a command and control aircraft on many occasions in support of operations on the ground. The Compass Call aircraft employ surgical jamming techniques to prevent communications or to degrade the transfer of information essential to enemy command and control of weapon systems. They can suppress enemy radio signals without interfering with friendly radio channels. The EC-130H has an air-refueling capability, allowing it to loiter for hours near combat zones on the fringes of enemy airspace. There are 13 operational Compass Call aircraft and one test aircraft; they are operated by the 41st and the 43rd Electronic Combat Squadrons of Air Combat, Commands’ 355th Wing at Davis-Monthan AFB near Tucson, AZ. The first of the converted (1973-vintage C-130 transport) aircraft was delivered in 982. BAE Systems' Information & Electfonic Warfare Systems in Nashua, NH, (previously Sanders) has produced electronic hardware and software for the aircraft since the 1980s. Each EC-130H has a crew of 13 personnel, including four linguists to translate intercepted communications. The linguists in the 41st Squadron speak Spanish, Arabic, and Farsi, the language or Iran. In the 43rd, the languages include Chinese, Russian, and Serbo-Croatian. Before deploying, some of the linguists from the 41st who flew on the two Compass Call aircraft over Afghanistan underwent intensive language training to learn Pashtun, one of the country's main languages The unit's Arabic linguists monitored al Qaed communications.

The latest feature being added to the EC-130H is the Spear jamming pod, two of which are carried under each wing. Last fall, development of Spear (Special Emitter Array) by BAE Systems was nearly complete when it was fielded on the two Compass Call aircraft deployed to Afghanistan. Spear is a powerful phased-array that can broadcast noise jamming in four independently steerable beams to attack a wide variety of modern communications systems that support battlefield command and control networks. Because of their role in Afghanistan of directly supporting US ground troops and the country's mountainous terrain, the two EC-130Hs had to fly closer to enemy forces than is normally the case. This exposed them to antiaircraft artillery fire on several occasions and put them within range of Stinger shoulder-fired heat-seeking missiles. The slow-flying aircraft, which typically operate at night to reduce their vulnerability to enemy fire, carry no defensive countermeasures equipment. As a result of this operational deficiency, Compass Call program managers are seeking Air Force funding for self-protection equipment for the EC-130Hs, specifically infrared (IR) countermeasures. The obvious solution is the Directional IR Countermeasures (DIRCM) system now being installed on Air Force Special Operations Command's 58 MC-130E/H Combat Talon I and II transports and AC-130H/U gunship aircraft to protect them from surface-to-air missiles, particularly the shoulder-fired Stinger IR-guided variety (July AFJI). DIRCM, developed by Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, includes four passive warning sensors mounted externally around the aircraft to provide 360-degree coverage. The sensors passively detect multiple approaching missiles from their rocket plumes and provide a bearing to each missile. One of two external, rotating jam heads then slews rapidly to acquire each missile and focuses an intense beam of IR energy on it to confuse its guidance seeker. Because of budget constraints, however, the Compass Call aircraft are not likely to be funded to receive the full DIRCM system but only the missile-warning sensors and control box along with expendable chaff and flare countermeasures dispensers. The existing Block 20 Compass Call aircraft began a Block 35 modernization effort this summer. As prime contractor and system integrator, BAE Systems is upgrading hardware and delivering line-replaceable electronic units with increased capability and reliability. Raytheon (Ft. Wayne, IN) and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics (Palmdale, CA) are BAE Systems' two major subcontractors. The upgrades include replacing Compass Call's aging 1970s-era receiver suite with a Tactical Radio Acquisition Countermeasures System (TRACS)-a digital reprogrammable receiver-as well as signal processing improvements. TRACS will be fielded on the first EC-130H in Fiscal Year 2005. The Block 35 upgrades will improve the aircraft's capability to jam air defense early-warning and acquisition radars in addition to communications.

Compass Call aircraft played a vital role in disrupting Iraqi command and control networks at the strategic and tactical levels during the Gulf War; since that time, they have deployed frequently to the Balkans and to Southwest Asia. An EC-130H was almost always in the air during the Kosovo air campaign, flying 10 to 14 hours at a stretch. DM jams Iraqi communications, helps in rescuing American POWs Sierra Vista Herald, August 21, 2003 By Bill Hess SIERRA VISTA -- Special aircraft from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base were instrumental in ensuring Iraqi defenses could not communicate. When it came to rescuing Pvt. Jessica Lynch, jamming enemy lines from the air was critical, an Air Force noncommissioned officer said. The Compass Call, EC-130H aircraft of the 41st ad 43rd Electronic Combat Squadrons, are the only Air Force planes capable of being a communications jamming platform, said Capt. Justin Carroll, a mission commander during part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Carroll is an electronic warfare officer. He and Master Sgt. Mike Dremel, both of the 43rd, deployed to Iraq. The captain with his own squadron, and Dremel, an analyst, augmented the 41st. They spoke to nearly 40 people who attended Tuesday's dinner of the Cochise Chapter of the Air Force Association. One night, a Compass Call plane was flying over Iraq when it got a call to assist in a mission, Dremel said. The crew later learned it was part of the Lynch rescue. Circling overhead as ground forces and other aircraft went in, the EC-130H jammed enemy communications, including cell phone calls, so the Iraqi forces could not request reinforcements at the hospital where Lynch was being held, he said. Iraqi defenders initially attempted to call for backup. When their communications equipment jammed, "they fled," he said. Another time he was on mission when a U-2 pilot "heard a gurgle," Dremel said, explaining that a gurgle is a transmission that is hard to hear. The U-2 pilot asked the Compass Call plane to contact the Marine on the ground. When that was done, the individual said he had some prisoners of war, Dremel said.

At first it was thought the Marine was talking about Iraqi POWs, but the Marine made it clear. "It was our seven American POWs," the Marine said. Again, there was concern an Iraqi force may attack. The crew on the EC-130H became the command aircraft, directing fighters and rescue planes to the area, he said. "Those (two) missions made us feel good," Dremel said. Another mission the special Electronic Combat Squadrons had a role in was the first day of the war, jamming commands from Saddam Hussein to flood the port areas in the south of Iraq with oil and to set the oil on fire, he said. As Special Operation Forces went in, Compass Call planes eliminated the enemy's capability to communicate, thereby ensuring a fire and environmental disaster was averted, Dremel said. Carroll said not all missions were without danger. Iraqi forces fired anti-aircraft weapons and missiles at U.S. and coalition force aircraft. The more maneuverable fighters could get out of the way faster, he said. The four-engine modified Air Force transport, such as those used on Compass Call missions, took longer to take evasive action. A lot of lessons were learned, which includes that the Compass Call crews have to do more work with ground forces, he said. As for the special mission planes, "We are a little island at Davis-Monthan. That is the only place we (Compass Call) are at," the captain said. A Compass Call plane visited Fort Huachuca early last year. Brig. Gen. John Custer, who then was the deputy commander of the Intelligence Center, reviewed the aircraft at that time. Custer has left the fort and is now the senior intelligence officer for the U.S. Central Command. When he toured the EC-130H, Custer said there has to be more work between the fort and Davis-Monthan so the Army and Air Force can find ways to better use their intelligence capabilities, especially since the Army has equipment on the ground to jam communications. Carroll said he understands that while the proposal has been delayed because of Operation Iraqi Freedom, there still is an interest at the Air Force senior officer level to do some joint training with intelligence students and instructors at Fort Huachuca. Manned Jammers Needed For Another Generation Aviation Week & Space Technology, October 28, 2002

By David A. Fulghum and Robert Wall Plans are afoot, however, to slowly begin adding the capability to both large and small unmanned aircraft There are signs that the mission of the U.S. Air Force's EC-130H Compass Call communications jammer is slowly starting to migrate to unmanned aircraft and space, although experts maintain a human must remain in the loop. Compass Call has been the backbone of the Air Force's electronic attack aircraft mission, although in recent years it also has become one of the service's premier information warfare tools for penetrating enemy air defense computer systems. With the increasing electronic complexity of the modern battlefield and the difficulty of surviving in hostile airspace, moves are afoot to roll some of these capabilities into unmanned aircraft and, eventually, into space. But BAE Systems planners say the need for human intervention and to get close to the targets will ensure the continued use of Compass Call and perhaps a new manned jamming aircraft for at least two decades. "If you ask where information dominance is going, you have to realize that it's not related to a single set of frequencies or capabilities," said Larrie G. Cable, vice president and general manager for information dominance at BAE Systems. "It flows across the frequency spectrum from acoustics through RF [radio frequency] and into light and UUV [ultra-ultraviolet]. Our job is to make sure we can detect those signals in the ether and convert them into usable data. We then have to put a chronological context to it to create information that [can be acted on]. Communications intelligence [Compass Call's traditional role] is only the starting point. We see that platforms and relationships are going to change, but the need for knowledge will not--except to become a bigger part of how we fight wars in the future." Lockheed Martin officials recently bemoaned the fact that the Air Force will not be buying new C-130Js for Compass Call, saying the service was already looking to unmanned aircraft such as Global Hawk, possibly a variant of the newly envisioned multisensor command and control aircraft (MC2A) and, later, space platforms (AW&ST Sept. 30, p. 63). "Compass Call is getting old, but it will be around for a while," Cable said. "The customer is interested in ensuring that it continues to do its job. But we are participating in MC2A and, eventually, we see a new airframe coming along to replace Compass Call. There will also be UAVs and networking at all levels of sensors from underwater to exo-atmospheric." "Space-based sensors would give us a larger field of regard and could be used for cuing," Cable said. "But right now we see no way possible of doing the job of sensing and

responding to the future battlefield with space-based assets only. More and more we are recognizing there are varying degrees of complexity, frequency, amplitude, modulation and all kinds of techniques that are just not well suited for sea or space basing. There's a [continuing] need for man-based, vehicle-based and local air-based sensors." For example, to extend battery life, cell phones are designed to use the least power possible. Their availability, portability and freedom from infrastructure have made them the choice of terrorist and guerrilla groups. If a listening aircraft or satellite is far away, cell phone transmissions simply won't be picked up. A long-endurance UAV, on the other hand, can go where a manned aircraft can't and stay perhaps for days listening for elusive calls. "Many times they can fly low, slow or behind things, and it's hard for [those being tracked] to know when they are coming, how long they've been there or even where they are," Cable said. "However, the ability to get that information to someone who can use it is as important as the information itself. So I don't see manned nodes going away in the near future. You hear a lot about reach-back all the way to the U.S. The trouble is we have time-critical targets. Everything we look at says we are going to have manned assets in the battlespace for at least another generation. Both the Navy and Air Force are increasing requirements for automation, but they still plan to leave a man in the loop for final decision and execution." Air Force officials think there could be some institutional opposition to combining the roles of various intelligence gathering and electronic attack aircraft. "I don't think you'll see a combined aircraft as long as Compass Call is a separate, parochial community," said one official. "The technology is there to make it happen, and it would probably be a little more efficient. As long as separate organizations exist in the Army, Air Force and Navy, I don't think you're going to see a combined aircraft very soon." But despite any pushback from the services, change is coming for the intelligence-gathering community. "How can you use the spectrum for information operations and electronic warfare that is more surgical in its impact?" asked Walter Havenstein, BAE president for information and electronic warfare systems. "The nature of the threat is going to be more elusive so we're going to have to be much more discriminating and precise in how we counter them and how we manipulate the spectrum to include the processing that an enemy may be doing in his computer. The common theme [for new technology] is how do we access their databases? Our strength is accessing through the electromagnetic spectrum. All the rest is signal processing--being able to detect it, identify it and manipulate it in some fashion. That's going to be the wave of the future more than the hammer [electronic destruction] treatment." Some interesting new electronic tools are at hand, said BAE Systems researchers.

For example, the U.S. has used language translation tools in their interrogation of Al Qaeda prisoners in Cuba. And about two years ago, the Pentagon was asking for ideas for a system that could run through foreign computer memories looking for precise pieces of information. "[The translation algorithms are] still not good enough to replace a linguist," Cable said. "But the technology is improving, and we have customers that are interested in pursuing it. That means being able to run in on an enemy communications network, determine the language, search the database, pull out useful information and deliver it to the search engine. Currently, we can't. To do that effectively is still about 10 years away." However, the capability would reduce the demand for language and information warfare specialists and that makes it a candidate for any next-generation Compass Call. Data processing also appears to have a role in communications intelligence (comint). A new application called "advanced comint voice processor" serves as an aid to the linguist, said Aaron J. Penkacik, BAE vice president for advanced systems and technology. "It does language, speaker, platform and key word identification," he said. "It can take a very short snippet of voice intercept and say, based on existing databases, 'This is Ahkmed flying an F-16, and he just said arm.' In addition, it's made to operate in a very noisy environment." There are also opportunities, if not markets yet, for manipulating voices in addition to identifying them. “It's no different than if I were looking for a high-speed generator or getting signals off an oscillator," said Havenstein. "I'm identifying that it's unique, in this case, to a human being. Identification has a tremendous value. Can I do the equivalent of spoofing with a voice? Yes, but I'm not sure you can make a business out of it." In an absolute reverse of pre-Gulf war predictions that RF communications would have disappeared by now, leaving the role of communications intercept unneeded, "All of us have at least one RF communications device [cell phone] at home, on your person or in the office," said David Blundell, BAE director for air and ground systems information warfare. However, users of such devices are also searching for ways to protect communications. So comint is a growth industry. "Our core competency is to develop custom antenna arrays both embedded [in aircraft] and in pods to process low probability of intercept signals," he said. "These are people operating in a mode in which they are trying to hide behind something else" in an environment dense with other camouflaging signals. In fact, the quickly changing face of enemy communications provides other opportunities for BAE Systems. "We are always vigilant about new threats and capabilities, so we develop these things called 'clip-ins,'" Blundell said. They are new software algorithms that focus on jamming, intercepting or exploiting unfamiliar enemy communication schemes soon after they appear in use. The clip-ins' temporary, plug-in capability "gives

us as developers and systems integrators the ability to experiment," he said. "It also provides the engineers some real-time feedback on how the operational people make use of the capability. Even the test community gets to see the capabilities as a clip-in before it becomes a mainline capability. Then we turn the clip-in into a permanent tool. It's a very efficient way of evolving new capabilities." Current clip-in specialized jamming systems carry names like Fireant, Enhanced Juke Box, Ferret and Mustang. Another of the clip-ins, Project Suter, aims to more closely couple Compass Call with the RC-135 Rivet Joint signals-intelligence aircraft. Crew on the two aircraft will exchange information via Airborne Information Transfer data links. The effort got a boost last year with $12 million in emergency funding to start integration and connection of the information warfare system with its intelligence counterpart in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Closer cooperation has been matched with organizational changes, with Compass Call's two primary units, the 41st and 43rd Electronic Combat squadrons, assigned to the same 55th Wing that the RC-135s fall under. Compass Call will remain based at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. Not only has the software and hardware for electronic warfare and electronic attack changed, so have the antennas. An aircraft like Compass Call is considered a "weapons system that shoots electrons," Blundell said. Its armament now includes the special emitter array subsystem (Spear), a package of small antennas that allows jamming to be focused on a target instead of being omnidirectional. "It's a bank of antennas, a phased array so you're not broadcasting 360 deg., interfering with things you don't want to interfere with," he said. "Software allows you to change the target set. These are individual antennas, and when you combine them in specific ways off the wingtip, they merge into a focused beam. By electronically combining the [more than 100] elements, you can steer where that beam points." Other products include the Diamond Sigint Architecture and the Diamond Software Product Family. When the company encountered problems with the low-band sigint system because a subcontractor couldn't deliver the specialized microchips they promised, planners reshaped their efforts. "In 1999, we shifted our whole paradigm," Cable said. "We decided we were too dependent on other companies. We shifted away from custom hardware and software systems. We invested $11 million to create a software architecture that supports off-the-shelf general-purpose computers." The challenge with this approach is that off-the-shelf computers are not designed for signals-intelligence processing. In conventional processing, real-time functions might require an update rate of four times per second. In the sigint world, they work a thousandth of a second. Another obstacle for BAE Systems is that its competition also has embraced the commercial hardware standards philosophy, creating a tough competitive environment.

Part of the solution for the RF front-end in these systems was for BAE Systems to start building its own specialized microwave/millimeter wave chips at a new Micro Electronics Center that includes a foundry to produce high-performance circuits in the 2-20-GHz. spectrum. Future plans, according to Alan Swanson, director of microwave electronics engineering, who runs the foundry, are to expand into 20-40-GHz., low-volume, high-performance chips. The facility's products are already widely used in the F/A-22 and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. "We want to be able to build what you can't get easily from the commercial world," Swanson said. Products are specialized, for example, for very low frequencies where low-noise, high-RF power, low-heat-load and miniaturization are vital. Now instead of relying on terraflop processors that were tough to link into widely distributed systems, "we use a bank of noncustomized PCs," Blundell said. "We don't find ourselves relying on custom architecture to splice a system together. You now can take a COTS [commercial off-the-shelf] approach to the computational side." The Diamond Software Product Family also helps skirt the problem of reacting to new enemy threats. As foreign radar and anti-aircraft missile systems are updated with new electronics, for example, it often changes their signals. That means U.S. systems that must detect and jam them must also be updated. Instead of taking months or even years, as in the past, the Diamond Software architecture is designed to be updated on two-month cycles. "We were able to break the cycle of developing the hardware and then the software which took years," Blundell said. "We purchased COTS software and demonstrated that we could update the capabilities every two months. We made it very simple for third parties to come in and develop integrated components, test and field them and support them. A competitor could add a capability without compromising the intellectual property." BAE Systems' developers contend their system is independent of hardware and software, and that third parties can insert new algorithms without contractor participation. Moreover, the system is fully scaleable and extendable, and performance can be increased just by plugging in additional cords. “This is absolutely the cornerstone of being able to do the kind of networking where manned systems work with ground nodes and with space nodes and independent uunmanned vehicles," Blundell said Threats and Responses; Hearts and Minds; Firing Leaflets and Electrons, U.S. Wages Information War New York Times, February 24, 2003 EC-130H Compass Call: A textbook example of Joint Force integration at its best Congressional Electronic Warfare Working Group Briefing Paper, March 11, 2004 By Charles F. Bass, Member of Congress

During Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), much speculation appeared in the press about why Iraqi forces failed to ignite the oil facilities they had wired for destruction. During the seizure of Al Faw, COMPASS CALL and its highly competent crew of thirteen disrupted the Iraqi regime's control of their troops by jamming the command and control communications. Instead of receiving orders to detonate the oil terminals, Iraqi troops heard only the ratcheting static of COMPASS CALL jamming until coalition ground troops had secured the area. In addition to the takedown of Al Faw Peninsula, successful military operations supported by COMPASS CALL in OIF included the seizure of 4 airfields; 2 successful POW rescues; and the ground offensive from Basrah to Nasariyah, Najaf, Baghdad, and Tikrit. In all these instances, COMPASS CALL jamming prevented a trained, experienced adversary from coordinating actions against coalition forces. The employment of COMPASS CALL's jamming to facilitate the rapid advance of ground forces is a textbook example of Joint Force integration at its best. The innovative use of advanced Air Force weapons systems to complement forces on the ground averted harm to the environment and preserved economic assets vital to a new Iraqi society. COMPASS CALL is an Offensive Counter Information (OCI) warfare system designed to deny, degrade and disrupt adversary command, control and communications systems. COMPASS CALL was originally developed as a standoff communications jammer conducting Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD). Main targets were early warning command and control, Surface to Air Missile (SAM) command and control, Ground Control Intercept (GCI) command and control, navigation aids and air traffic control. Additional targets consisted of military radio systems supporting maneuver and artillery control, and echelon communications. While still capable of performing that original role, COMPASS CALL is now able to perform many other roles against a diverse set of target signals. This includes denial and disruption of enemy surveillance radars; denial and disruption of hostile command, control and communications being used in support of enemy ground, air or maritime operations; and denial and disruption of many modern commercial communications signals that might be employed by an adversary. Because of its operational utility and versatility, COMPASS CALL has flown in every major engagement from Panama to Desert Storm, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and most recently Iraq. In those engagements COMPASS CALL has demonstrated a long tradition of mission success - no American has been killed, captured, or shot down when COMPASS CALL was on station. Another recent example of the value of the Compass Call came during Operation Enduring Freedom. COMPASS CALL proved its ability to get into the fight quickly, literally deploying in a matter of hours and being ready to conduct combat operations in a matter of days - an order of magnitude ahead of many other weapons systems. Afghanistan, which is extremely mountainous and land-locked, stretched every weapon system and forced US Forces to execute missions at maximum effort. Instead of suppressing enemy air defenses in support of the air war, COMPASS CALL was tasked

to support ground units engaging the enemy in close combat. Supporting ground units on deep strike missions in mountainous terrain meant COMPASS CALL could not operate from the traditional standoff orbit on the friendly side of the border. COMPASS CALL was forced to penetrate enemy territory to provide the electronic cover needed by ground units, oftentimes orbiting within range of shoulder-fired missiles and anti-aircraft artillery. COMPASS CALL flew in every major engagement from the beginning of the ground war in mid-October 2001 until redeployment in late March 2002. Recognized up and down the chain of command for the critical support it brought to the fight, COMPASS CALL was designated a go/no-go asset by the CENTCOM Commander, meaning friendly forces wouldn't go into harm's way without COMPASS CALL jamming support. That was consistent with the norm ever since COMPASS CALL's first employment during Operation Just Cause in Panama, when the Army Chief of Staff declared, "The Army will never again go to war without COMPASS CALL." The 41st and 43rd Electronic Combat Squadrons, from Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, operate a total of 14 COMPASS CALL EC-130H aircraft, 10 of which are ready for war at any time. Six of the aircraft are of the Block 20 configuration, while the remaining 8 are of the newer Block 30 configuration. Three of the Block 30 aircraft are capable of carrying the high power, directional Special Emitter Array (SPEAR) jamming pods reportedly used to great effect during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. The Air Force has begun the COMPASS CALL full-fleet Block 35 upgrade, with 12 of 14 aircraft currently funded (converting an additional 2 aircraft is #5 on the Air Force's Unfunded Priority List. The Block 35 configuration provides a host of capability and equipment improvements to effectively deny hostile use of the electromagnetic spectrum by today's threats. The Block 35 weapons system will have higher reliability, greater jamming power and an improved frequency range. While all Block 35 aircraft will be configured to carry SPEAR (i.e., wiring in place), funding currently exists to outfit only half of the total number of aircraft with the inboard mission processing equipment and jamming pods. Because the evolution of threats continues at a very rapid pace, it is essential to fund a pre-planned product improvement program that enables COMPASS CALL to maintain its operational edge. I am proud of Congress's role in providing support in recent years for these efforts and I commend the Air Force for planning the Block 35 upgrade path. As the Department of Defense works through its funding priorities for future years, I strongly encourage the Air Force leadership to fund all COMPASS CALL upgrades. No one in the services or on the Hill questions that we should guarantee the availability of modernized COMPASS CALL aircraft. Both the Air Force and the Department of Defense have placed a very high priority on upgrading this low-density / high-demand aircraft. Now I call upon them to prioritize the funding to support that effort.