USAF New EA-37B COMPASS CALL - Misnomer?

[Dutch]

The USAF have just received its first new EA-37B COMPASS CALL aircraft.  Wikipedia says it was formerly known as the EC-37B based on the civilian Gulfstream V / military C-37 airframe. I remember the old Cessna A-37 Dragonfly. It makes it a little confusing for me. Maybe the current USAF has already forgotten the A-37, so doesn't matter. 

[Geoff M]

It is confusing.  The standards for designations have gotten all fouled up. Going back to the F/A-18.  Need to sell congress that they were getting a bargain; 1 airplane that could do 2 jobs. Forget about P-47s and P-51s that shot down planes and bombed targets on the ground.  No P/A-47s back then 😆.  And Lately the F-15EX.  EX for EXtra Special I suppose.  Couldn't just make it a F-15F? What does a X stand for anyway.  

If the C-37 was modified to do an Electronic Warfare or Reconnaissance mission it should follow the past standard of adding that prefix to the existing designation ie, EC-37 or RC-37.  Where did the A come from?   I am sure there are many more examples of liberties taken to justify a new weapon system. The only standards I suppose are that there are no standards. Rant over.

2 hours ago, Dutch said:

The USAF have just received its first new EA-37B COMPASS CALL aircraft.  Wikipedia says it was formerly known as the EC-37B based on the civilian Gulfstream V / military C-37 airframe. I remember the old Cessna A-37 Dragonfly. It makes it a little confusing for me. Maybe the current USAF has already forgotten the A-37, so doesn't matter. 

 

[A-10 LOADER]

20 minutes ago, Geoff M said:

It is confusing.  The standards for designations have gotten all fouled up. Going back to the F/A-18.  Need to sell congress that they were getting a bargain; 1 airplane that could do 2 jobs. Forget about P-47s and P-51s that shot down planes and bombed targets on the ground.  No P/A-47s back then 😆.  And Lately the F-15EX.  EX for EXtra Special I suppose.  Couldn't just make it a F-15F? What does a X stand for anyway.  

If the C-37 was modified to do an Electronic Warfare or Reconnaissance mission it should follow the past standard of adding that prefix to the existing designation ie, EC-37 or RC-37.  Where did the A come from?   I am sure there are many more examples of liberties taken to justify a new weapon system. The only standards I suppose are that there are no standards. Rant over.

 

Right there with ya bud. Everyone feels the need to re-invent the wheel.

 

Steve

[Dutch]

EA= Electronic Attack. COMPASS CALL mission is to jam enemy's electromagnetic spectrum, previously done by EC-130E/H/J. Similarly, we have EF-111As which jammed, but did not fire ordnance, AFAIK.  EA-6A & Bs did have capability to jam and fire ordnance, as does the EA-18G (so much for the fighter mission).  Normally, I would expect the EA-37B to fire ordnance, which I highly doubt, just electrons.  So why can't we just call it an EC-37B?  Is there a radar/AWACS version already called the EC-37?  Maybe IDF and USN fly it?  I think USAF is opting for E-7A Wedgetail, so no worries there. I'm so confused!😣

Edited September 15 by Dutch

[fasteagle12]

2 hours ago, Geoff M said:

It is confusing.  The standards for designations have gotten all fouled up. Going back to the F/A-18.  Need to sell congress that they were getting a bargain; 1 airplane that could do 2 jobs. Forget about P-47s and P-51s that shot down planes and bombed targets on the ground.  No P/A-47s back then 😆.  And Lately the F-15EX.  EX for EXtra Special I suppose.  Couldn't just make it a F-15F? What does a X stand for anyway.  

If the C-37 was modified to do an Electronic Warfare or Reconnaissance mission it should follow the past standard of adding that prefix to the existing designation ie, EC-37 or RC-37.  Where did the A come from?   I am sure there are many more examples of liberties taken to justify a new weapon system. The only standards I suppose are that there are no standards. Rant over.

 

The 'EX' designation came about because it was developed from the 2 seat 'E'.  Had it been a single seat it would have been called the 'CX' since it would have been developed from the 'C'.

[habu2]

It's the SuperTweet !!! 🤣🤣🤣

[Dutch]

1 hour ago, habu2 said:

It's the SuperTweet !!! 🤣🤣🤣

Habu, you may be onto something there. Twin engined, side-by-side cockpit seating, and there the similarities end. Perhaps, "Lightning Bug" would be better?

Edited September 9 by Dutch

[Geoff M]

3 hours ago, fasteagle12 said:

The 'EX' designation came about because it was developed from the 2 seat 'E'.  Had it been a single seat it would have been called the 'CX' since it would have been developed from the 'C'.

I get the E designation, what does the X denote?

 

[Dutch]

Kind of like the F-16XL, maybe?  Except the F-15EX hasn't grown dimensionally, like the F-16XL or F/A-18E/F.

 

And what will the next model be designated?  F-15EXX? or possibly F-15F? followed by the dedicated Wild Weasel variant F-15G?

Edited September 10 by Dutch

[Da SWO]

Numbers and designations get recycled, some sooner than others.

 

I don't know enough to question EA vs EC, but the plane is designed for standoff missions.  I guess jamming is now considered an attack mission..

 

We need a 1/48 scale model.

[f5guy]

Certainly an interesting an interesting biz jet adaptation. Sova M does a 1/72nd scale kit of the Gulfstream V in its JSTARS demo form. No doubt an EA-37B will follow.  https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/SVM-72017?result-token=q4LUU and if it does I'll be getting one. As for 1/48th scale, I wouldn't hold my breath, but you never know! Fred K.

[hemspilot]

EX, the F-15EX may look like your father's (depending on your age) F-15 but under that skin it's completely redesigned, to the point that a quadruple redundant fly-by-wire system replaces the traditional mechanical flight controls of the previous generations of F-15.

Newer, more powerful GE engines and the reintroduction of stations 1 and 9 that were never used in the legacy aircraft for stability issues.

That is what the X stand for.