The US State Department has approved a potential Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Italy, authorizing the acquisition of the Electronic Attack Mission System and associated equipment at an estimated cost of $680 million.
Italy’s request includes the EA-37B mission system, which comprises multiple subsystems, namely “Network Centric Collaborative Targeting (NCCT) systems; System Control and Monitoring subsystems; Radio Frequency Receiver (RFR) subsystems; Software-defined Radio (SDR) subsystems; Counter Radar Assembly; Array Panels; AN/ARC-210 RT-2036 radios; KG-250 In-line Network Encryptors; KY-100 Narrow/wideband Terminals; KIV-77 Mode 4/5 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF); AN/PYQ-10C Simple Key Loaders”
Additionally, Italy will receive cryptographic devices, precision navigation systems, and various aircraft support and maintenance services.
The EA-37B, designed for airborne electromagnetic attacks, will enable Italy to deny, degrade, and disrupt enemy communications, radar systems, and navigation channels.
The system is fitted in a modified Gulfstream G550 business jet. In 2020, the Italian government announced the requirement for two G550-based SIGINT (Signal Intelligence) platforms and six more airframes to be converted at a later time. The Italian Air Force already has two Airborne Early Warning aircraft based on the same business jet, known as the G550 CAEW.
This potential sale follows the recent delivery of the first EA-37B to the US Air Force’s Air Combat Command (ACC).
On August 27, 2024, the first EA-37B Compass Call aircraft was delivered to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, to replace the EC-130H Compass Call, a long-serving electronic warfare aircraft based on the C-130 Hercules.
While the EC-130H operated with a crew of 13, the newer EA-37B is optimized for a smaller crew of nine, offering advanced capabilities and greater efficiency.