# 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

:::{container} sched-holidays
| 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

:::{container} sched
| Lesson | Date (M-day) | Topic | Handout | Due |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 Aug | [L1 — Kill Chain & the EW Framework](block01/L01) |  |  |
| 2 | 10 Aug | [L2 — Spectrum & Propagation](block01/L02) |  |  |
| 3 | 12 Aug | [L3 — The Radar Range Equation](block01/L03) |  |  |
| 4 | 14 Aug | [L4 — Pulse Radars & Ambiguity](block01/L04) |  |  |
| 5 | 18 Aug | [L5 — Doppler & MTI](block01/L05) |  |  |
| 6 | 20 Aug | [L6 — Antenna Patterns and Beamforming](block01/L06) |  |  |
| 7 | 24 Aug | [L7 — IADS Radar Taxonomy](block01/L07) |  |  |
| 8 | 26 Aug | [L8 — Detection Theory](block01/L08) |  |  |
| 9 | 28 Aug | [L9 — Project 1 Work Day](block01/L09_Project1WorkDay) | [Project 1](block01/Project1) |  |
| 10 | 1 Sep | [L10 — Project 1 Presentations](block01/L10_Project1Presentations) | [HW1](block01/HW1) | **Project 1 · HW1 · Quiz 1** |
:::

## Block 2: RF Electronic Warfare

:::{container} sched
| Lesson | Date (M-day) | Topic | Handout | Due |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 3 Sep | [L11 — From Radar to EW](block02/L11) |  |  |
| 12 | 8 Sep | [L12 — Electromagnetic Support](block02/L12) |  |  |
| 13 | 10 Sep | [L13 — Angle of Arrival](block02/L13) |  |  |
| 14 | 15 Sep | [L14 — Triangulation and Fusion](block02/L14) |  |  |
| 15 | 17 Sep | [L15 — Electromagnetic Protect](block02/L15) |  |  |
| 16 | 22 Sep | [L16 — EP for Communications](block02/L16) |  |  |
| 17 | 24 Sep | [L17 — Electromagnetic Attack](block02/L17) |  |  |
| 18 | 28 Sep | [L18 — Active Deception](block02/L18) |  |  |
| 19 | 30 Sep | [L19 — Project 2 Work Day](block02/L19_Project2WorkDay) | [Project 2](block02/Project2) |  |
| 20 | 2 Oct | [L20 — Project 2 Presentations](block02/L20_Project2Presentations) | [HW2](block02/HW2) | **Project 2 · HW2 · Quiz 2** |
:::

## Block 3: IR EW and Signature Management

:::{container} sched
| Lesson | Date (M-day) | Topic | Handout | Due |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 6 Oct | [L21 — IR/EO Fundamentals](block03/L21) |  |  |
| 22 | 8 Oct | [L22 — IR Emitters](block03/L22) |  |  |
| 23 | 13 Oct | [L23 — Seekers, IRST, and FLIR](block03/L23) |  |  |
| 24 | 15 Oct | [L24 — IR Countermeasures](block03/L24) |  |  |
| 25 | 19 Oct | [L25 — RCS Physics](block03/L25) |  |  |
| 26 | 21 Oct | [L26 — Aircraft RF Signature](block03/L26) |  |  |
| 27 | 23 Oct | [L27 — RAM, Polarization, and EMCON](block03/L27) |  |  |
| 28 | 27 Oct | [L28 — Multi-Spectral Signatures](block03/L28) |  |  |
| 29 | 29 Oct | [L29 — Project 3 Work Day](block03/L29_Project3WorkDay) | [Project 3](block03/Project3) |  |
| 30 | 2 Nov | [L30 — Project 3 Presentations](block03/L30_Project3Presentations) | [HW3](block03/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.

:::{container} sched
| 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 | <span class="sched-break">Thanksgiving break — no classes</span> |  |  |
| 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** |
:::