Compass Call in Afghanistan

Sept. 1, 2005

For more than 500 days, the crews of the 41st Electronic Combat Squadron, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., have flown their EC-130H Compass Call aircraft jamming enemy communications in Afghanistan. The 41st and its sister unit, the 43rd ECS, which supports operations in Iraq, cover not two AEFs, but all AEFs—otherwise known as low-density, high-demand units. Read here for our coverage of this type of LD/HD commodity.

Related Content

Meeting the Software Challenge: Acquisition Reform Brings Its Own Complications

May 5, 2025
The new rules for buying software made mandatory by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s March 6 memo are designed to strip away constraints on how the DOD and the military services contract with private sector companies, so that they can buy, integrate, and deploy innovative capabilities more quickly. But critics warn…

Air Force May Restructure Boot Camp to Cut Classroom Instruction, Add More PT

May 5, 2025
Beginning in the fall, 2nd Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Wolfe Davidson plans to introduce a new curriculum for Basic Military Training that will focus on training Airmen and Space Force Guardians in much smaller groups, while replacing some classroom instruction with a more hands-on learning approach.

US Air Force Taps Boneyard Jets to Keep Ukraine’s F-16s Flying

May 3, 2025
The U.S. has approved a $310.5 million Foreign Military Sale to provide Ukraine with maintenance and training for its F-16 fighter jets, the State Department announced May 2. Meanwhile, the U.S. Air Force has been sending retired F-16s to Ukraine to be used for spare parts.

RAF Unveils Its Own Plan for New Drones to Fly Alongside Fighters

May 2, 2025
The United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force has unveiled a new electronic warfare drone designed to fly with fighter jets into contested airspace, including alongside its fleet of F-35s. RAF says it plans to develop models that draw on the U.S. Air Force’s approach of mating unmanned systems with crewed platforms.

Trump Proposes $1 Trillion Defense Budget for 2026

May 2, 2025
President Donald Trump is proposing a 13 percent increase in defense spending for fiscal 2026, growth that could mean the first ever $1 trillion defense budget, according to a document obtained by Air & Space Forces Magazine.