Course Schedule

Contents

Course Schedule#

This is a notional schedule and is kept up to date throughout the semester, so check back here rather than your syllabus. If this schedule and the submission platform disagree about a due date, the platform wins.

Dates are the Fall 2026 lesson days from the USAFA Cadet Academic Calendar AY 2026–2027 (approved 7 Jan 2026). ECE 495 meets on M-days only — one 50-minute period per lesson, 41 lessons across four blocks.

Every lesson has a pre-flight to work beforehand. It is never collected, but anyone can be called to present it at the board — that recitation is the entire participation grade. Each lesson’s pre-flight, reading, flashcards, and interactive demo live on this site, linked from the topic below.

Holidays and no-class days#

Date	Occasion
Mon 7 Sep	Labor Day — no classes
Fri 11 Sep	Commandant’s Training Day — no classes
Fri 18 Sep	Fall VALEX — no classes
Mon 12 Oct	Columbus Day — no classes
Wed 11 Nov	Veterans Day — no classes
Wed 25 Nov – Mon 30 Nov	Thanksgiving break — begins after last military duty Tue 24 Nov; Cadet Wing returns 1900 Mon 30 Nov

Block 1: Radar Fundamentals#

Lesson	Date (M-day)	Topic	Handout	Due
1	6 Aug	L1 — Kill Chain & the EW Framework
2	10 Aug	L2 — Spectrum & Propagation
3	12 Aug	L3 — The Radar Range Equation
4	14 Aug	L4 — Pulse Radars & Ambiguity
5	18 Aug	L5 — Doppler & MTI
6	20 Aug	L6 — Antenna Patterns and Beamforming
7	24 Aug	L7 — IADS Radar Taxonomy
8	26 Aug	L8 — Detection Theory
9	28 Aug	L9 — Project 1 Work Day	Project 1
10	1 Sep	L10 — Project 1 Presentations	HW1	Project 1 · HW1 · Quiz 1

Block 2: RF Electronic Warfare#

Lesson	Date (M-day)	Topic	Handout	Due
11	3 Sep	L11 — From Radar to EW
12	8 Sep	L12 — Electromagnetic Support
13	10 Sep	L13 — Angle of Arrival
14	15 Sep	L14 — Triangulation and Fusion
15	17 Sep	L15 — Electromagnetic Protect
16	22 Sep	L16 — EP for Communications
17	24 Sep	L17 — Electromagnetic Attack
18	28 Sep	L18 — Active Deception
19	30 Sep	L19 — Project 2 Work Day	Project 2
20	2 Oct	L20 — Project 2 Presentations	HW2	Project 2 · HW2 · Quiz 2

Block 3: IR EW and Signature Management#

Lesson	Date (M-day)	Topic	Handout	Due
21	6 Oct	L21 — IR/EO Fundamentals
22	8 Oct	L22 — IR Emitters
23	13 Oct	L23 — Seekers, IRST, and FLIR
24	15 Oct	L24 — IR Countermeasures
25	19 Oct	L25 — RCS Physics
26	21 Oct	L26 — Aircraft RF Signature
27	23 Oct	L27 — RAM, Polarization, and EMCON
28	27 Oct	L28 — Multi-Spectral Signatures
29	29 Oct	L29 — Project 3 Work Day	Project 3
30	2 Nov	L30 — Project 3 Presentations	HW3	Project 3 · HW3 · Quiz 3

Block 4: Aircraft Survivability and Mission Planning#

Block 4 is in development. Topics below come from the course outline and the lesson pages will publish before the block begins.

Lesson	Date (M-day)	Topic	Handout	Due
31	4 Nov	L31 — Survivability Framing and the PK Chain
32	6 Nov	L32 — Threat Geometry: SAM Rings, MEZ/LEZ
33	10 Nov	L33 — Information Geometry Under Threat
34	13 Nov	L34 — Optimal Path Planning
35	17 Nov	L35 — Sensor Fusion Under Threat
36	19 Nov	L36 — SEAD, Maneuvers, and Standoff Jamming
37	23 Nov	L37 — Modern Trends in EW
—	25–30 Nov	Thanksgiving break — no classes
38	1 Dec	L38 — Final Project Work Day	Final Project
39	3 Dec	L39 — Final Project Peer Review		Final Project draft
40	7 Dec	L40 — Final Project Revision Work Day
41	9 Dec	L41 — Course Wrap-Up and AAR		Final Project · HW4 · Quiz 4