Lockheed Martin EC-130 Commando Solo

Summary

Description

The Lockheed Martin EC-130 series emerged as specialized variants of the C-130 Hercules, tailored to fulfill diverse roles within the U.S. Air Force and, formerly, the U.S. Navy. The EC-130E Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center (ABCCC), utilized a basic C-130E platform and was retired in 2002. The EC-130E Commando Solo served as a psychological operations (PSYOPS) aircraft, employing mission electronic equipment from the retired EC-121S Coronet Solo. The EC-130H Compass Call, based on a C-130H airframe, functions as an airborne communications jamming platform. The EC-130J Commando Solo, a modified C-130J Super Hercules, conducts PSYOP and civil affairs broadcast missions. The U.S. Navy utilized the EC-130Q Hercules TACAMO for strategic communications with Fleet Ballistic Missile submarines; the Navy is returning to the C-130 platform with the E-130J, a C-130J-30 Hercules testbed for the TACAMO mission, slated to replace the E-6 Mercury.

The Lockheed Martin EC-130 series of aircraft are not designed for traditional offensive or defensive weaponry. Instead, their payload consists of specialized electronic equipment tailored to their specific mission, whether it be airborne battlefield command and control, psychological operations, or communications jamming. The EC-130H Compass Call, for instance, carries a sophisticated suite of electronic attack capabilities to disrupt enemy command and control networks. Similarly, the EC-130J Commando Solo is equipped with broadcasting equipment across a range of frequencies for psychological operations and civil affairs missions.

The EC-130J Commando Solo is equipped to conduct psychological operations (PSYOP) and civil affairs broadcast missions across standard AM, FM, HF, TV, and military communications bands. To optimize signal propagation, missions are typically flown at maximum altitudes. Enhancements to the EC-130J (Commando Solo III) include improved navigation systems, self-protection equipment, and color television broadcasting capabilities compatible with worldwide standards throughout the TV VHF/UHF ranges.

The EC-130 series has seen deployment across various theaters and conflicts. The EC-130E Commando Solo was instrumental in Operation Just Cause in 1989, broadcasting continuously, and during Operation Uphold Democracy in 1994, it broadcast radio and television messages to Haiti. The EC-130H Compass Call was used extensively in the Gulf War and Operation Iraqi Freedom, disrupting Iraqi communications, as well as in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve. The U.S. Navy's EC-130Q Hercules TACAMO provided critical communications links for the Fleet Ballistic Missile submarine force. The EC-130J was deployed during the 2010 Haiti earthquake to broadcast vital information, as well as during Operation Odyssey Dawn to warn Libyan ships.

Main Variants:

• EC-130E ABCCC: An Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center variant, it provided tactical airborne command post capabilities to air and ground commanders.

• EC-130E Commando Solo: An earlier version of a psychological operations aircraft, it was equipped with mission electronics from the retired EC-121S Coronet Solo.

• EC-130H Compass Call: An airborne communications jamming platform, it disrupts enemy command and control communications to limit adversary coordination.

• EC-130J Commando Solo III: A modified C-130J Super Hercules, it conducts psychological operations and civil affairs broadcast missions across various communication bands.

• EC-130Q: A U.S. Navy platform, fitted with VLF transmitters to communicate with ballistic missile submarines, it served as a strategic communications link.

Technical specifications

Current operating countries

Country		Units
	United States	16

Numbers in parentheses, e.g. '(+5)', indicate units ordered but not yet delivered.

All operators

United States

Photo of EC-130 Commando Solo