USAFA · Dept. of Electrical & Computer Engineering · ECE 495 · Fall 2026
Electromagnetic Warfare & Survivability
Four blocks. 41 lessons. One adversary problem: keep the B-21 alive in a contested spectrum.
Radar Fundamentals
How radar detects, ranges, and tracks — the physics every EW technique must defeat.
02RF Electronic Warfare
Jamming, deception, and the electronic-attack/protection duel in the RF band.
03IR EW & Signature Management
Infrared threats, missile seekers, countermeasures, and signature reduction.
04Survivability & Mission Planning
Integrating LO, EW, and tactics into a survivable mission against a modern IADS.
Individual deliverable
Pre-flight Quizzes
20% of course grade
One per lesson, due before class
See an example →Individual deliverable
Project Quizzes
20% of course grade
One per block, end of Block
Coming soonTerminal Learning Objectives#
By the end of this course you should be able to:
Explain how modern radar and IR sensors detect, track, and engage air targets.
Apply the radar range equation and propagation physics to predict detection range.
Analyze electronic-attack and electronic-protection techniques against the kill chain.
Evaluate aircraft signature-reduction and survivability tradeoffs quantitatively.
Synthesize EW and tactics into a survivable mission plan against an integrated air-defense system.
The operational thread: the B-21 Raider
Every block returns to one question — how does a low-observable bomber survive a modern integrated air-defense system (IADS)? The radar physics in Block 1 is the threat. The EW, signature management, and mission-planning blocks that follow are your toolkit for breaking each link in the adversary’s kill chain.
Rules of engagement
This is an experimental course. Consistent feedback is greatly appreciated!
The site is the long-form reference; the slides are prompts. Use both.
Be Present. Be Prepared — preflight prep and active participation are expected every lesson.
What Each Lesson Contains#
Reading. The main text for the lesson — expanded explanations of the slide material, with the equations worked through. Read it alongside the slides.
Flashcards. Key terms, equations, and concepts in click-to-reveal cards for quick review.
Demo. An interactive in-browser tool for the lesson’s central idea: live sliders, plots, and animations. A MATLAB type-along script — what we run in class — is bundled in the course code download for students who want to inspect or modify the numerics.
Pre-flight quiz. A short check due before class. Counts toward your IP grade.