Aircraft
Gulfstream Special-missions Business Continues To Grow
The imminent delivery of EC-37B aircraft to the U.S. Air Force highlights the growing demand for bizjet-based electronic special missions aircraft.
Converted special-missions Gulfstream G550 business jet
The first mission-equipped EC-37B flew a four-hour inaugural flight from L3Harris’s Waco, Texas, facility on May 4. (Photo: L3Harris)

L3Harris is in the process of delivering the first of a new class of special-missions aircraft, based on the Gulfstream G550 airframe. The first EC-37B aircraft made its first flight in fully mission-equipped configuration in early May.

The EC-37B is an electronic attack platform that targets the enemy’s command and control communications network, as well as radars and navigation systems. Currently the role—known as Compass Call—is handled by the Lockheed EC-130H, a variant of the Hercules. The fleet has been in service since 1982 and, following a lengthy career that included active service in all of the major U.S. military actions over four decades, is ready for replacement.

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