The 55th Electronic Combat Group at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., has sent its last Block 20 EC-130H Compass Call aircraft to a Waco, Tex., depot for upgrades to its avionics and mission systems. The upgrade effort for the Block 20 Compass Call aircraft began in 1996. Tail No. 989, which has flown during Desert Storm and Allied Force and current operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, will return to Davis-Monthan as a Block 35. (USAF photo release)
The Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile is behind schedule and may significantly overrun its expected cost, which could partially explain why the service is reviving the hypersonic AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid-Response Weapon.