Italy's Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed a USD300 million contract with L3Harris Technologies for the delivery of two EA-37B Compass Call aircraft, a G550-based platform equipped with advanced electromagnetic warfare systems. The air force (Aeronautica Militare Italiana - AMI) will become the first international operator of the EA-37B.

“We are expanding our support of Italy’s armed forces by equipping them with modern mission technology ready for managing a dynamic global landscape,” said Jason Lambert, president, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), L3Harris.

The announcement follows the United States State Department's approval on October 7, 2024, of the sale of the EA-37B’s electronic attack mission system to Italy.

Both aircraft are currently at Savannah International, where Gulfstream Aerospace is conducting initial modifications. These will be subsequently ferried to Waco James Connall for further outfitting by L3Harris, in partnership with BAe Systems, which received a USD12 million subcontract to supply mission-critical hardware.

“This modification work is a critical step toward delivering advanced EA capabilities to the Italian Air Force,” said Cory Casalegno, director for coalition electronic attack at BAE Systems.

The two EA-37Bs will join the Italian MoD's fleet of special mission aircraft under the Joint Airborne Multi-Mission Multi-Sensor System (JAMMS) programme, launched in 2020 with an initial plan for eight G550s, including six delivered as green airframes for future conversion.

The AMI already operates two G550(C-550A)s configured for airborne intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare (AISREW), along with two G550(E-550A)s configured for conformal airborne early warning (CAEW) missions. In addition to the EA-37Bs, two further G550s are currently being converted for dedicated ISR roles.

Separately, the Italian MoD has other Gulfstream aircraft on order. Earlier this year, the AMI took delivery of the first two of four G650ER(VC-650A)s, used for VIP transport and medical evacuation missions.