EA-37 Electronic Warfare Aircraft Deploy as Trump Weighs Large-Scale Ops Against Iran

The U.S. has deployed key new electronic warfare aircraft overseas that would be critical for a large-scale operation against Iran as President Donald Trump publicly weighs resuming a full-scale air campaign.

Two EA-37B Compass Call electronic attack aircraft deployed from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., to RAF Fairford, U.K., where they landed July 23, according to flight tracking data and local aircraft spotters. Based on past deployments, the aircraft appear poised to head to the Middle East.

The EA-37B is the Air Force’s newest EW aircraft. The jets were deployed to the Middle East in April for Operation Epic Fury, marking the first deployment of the EA-37s for real-world operations. Aging EC-130s, which the EA-37B is replacing, were deployed in the early days of the war with Iran.

The Air Force now has five EA-37s out of a planned fleet of 22. The planes are designed for multiple electronic warfare missions, including jamming enemy communications, radar, navigation, and other signals. In a conflict, they operate outside of an adversary’s airspace, employing their standoff capabilities.

Other important combat aircraft are also stationed in Britain for potential use in the Middle East. Around a dozen B-1Bs are currently deployed to Fairford, where they have been stationed since the spring. On July 21, a B-1B Lancer struck Iran, Axios reported, marking the first use of a U.S. bomber in the conflict since April. Future bomber missions against Iran appear likely.

“This month, American forces have targeted dozens of Iranian military sites on land while resuming a blockade against Iran at sea,” U.S. Central Command said in a July 22 statement. The U.S. conducted its 13th straight day of airstrikes July 23, CENTCOM said.

About 50,000 American troops are deployed in the Middle East. Eighteen troops have been killed in the conflict and over 480 have been wounded, according to official Defense Department data posted July 22.

Photos of the arrival of the EA-37s at RAF Fairford were taken by local aircraft photographer Lee Hathaway and shared with Air & Space Forces Magazine. After leaving Arizona, the aircraft made a quick stop for fuel at Bangor Air National Guard Base, Maine, before continuing to the U.K. During their previous deployment to the Middle East, which began in April, two EA-37s were spotted in England at RAF Mildenhall before moving onward to the Middle East.

Jamming enemy systems is an essential mission for U.S. air operations. During the conflict with Iran, the U.S. has also used Space Force electronic warfare systems.

Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons and A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft have been spotted carrying Angry Kitten electronic warfare jamming pods during combat missions in the Middle East as well, marking the first time the system has been used in a combat zone. F-35 Lightning II fighters, which have been heavily used in the conflict, carry robust EW systems. EA-18 Growlers, which carry jamming pods to escort strike aircraft and launch munitions at air defense systems, have also been used.

Additional fighters and refueling aircraft have been deployed to the Middle East in recent days, and a steady stream of cargo aircraft have been heading back and forth from the Middle East and Europe.