US troops study Ukraine's drone detecting tactics
Photo: US Army soldiers with drones (Getty Images)
The US military is adopting the Ukrainian Armed Forces' technique of identifying drones by their distinctive sounds. This will help troops detect threats in time while on patrol, according to Breaking Defense.
As the experience of the war in Ukraine has shown, listening to the sky is critically important, say US officers. In the past, soldiers looked only ahead, but now they must listen for the hum.
Staff Sergeant Tyler Harrington led counter-UAV tactics during the Project FlyTrap 5.0 exercises in Lithuania. He emphasized that, following the example of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, patrols now scan the area not only at ground level.
The US Army has not yet officially changed its program, but field experience is already being implemented. Soldiers are learning to distinguish between types of aircraft by the sound of their engines, which allows them to determine the enemy’s direction of movement.
Harrington shares his experience during a roundtable discussion:
"No longer am I just scanning to my 12:00 and around me at ground level — we’ve incorporated this warfare to where we have to scan up and out as well … you have to now learn the sounds of the drones. Does it sound like one of the one-way attack ones coming in our potential direction?"
Muscle memory and combat realities
Russia's war against Ukraine demonstrates the evolution of events on the front lines, as the battlefield is now saturated with reconnaissance and kamikaze drones. The Ukrainian CBA Initiatives Center conducted its own research. Analysts studied the training of recruits in six European countries. The main conclusion is that soldiers need new reflexes.
Every soldier must be able to recognize the sound of approaching danger in order to save their own life and the life of the soldier next to them. The researchers’ report states: "Ukrainian recruits need to build muscle memory for the sound of approaching drones, and if someone shouts ‘air!’ everyone has to immediately fall on the ground, point their rifles in the sky and aim at a drone."
Electronic ears against Russian drones
Ukraine does not rely solely on soldiers’ hearing, the article notes. It is building entire networks of acoustic sensors. This is a complex system of microphones and computers that operates synchronously and rapidly. The US Army Center of Military Lessons has already analyzed this experience.
The detection system has a clear structure:
- Directional microphones
- Local computers for signal classification
- Synchronized timestamps
- Concise target reports.
The signal is instantly received by air defense units, allowing drones to be destroyed while still approaching. American experts advise implementing such solutions immediately. This is particularly relevant for NATO’s eastern flank. Low-cost solutions sometimes prove more effective than expensive radars.
Drones and Ukraine's defense industry
Ukrainian Armed Forces drones have successfully carried out a mission to de-oilify Russia. Over the past few months, 10% of the Russian oil facilities have been struck and damaged, President Zelenskyy stated.
In addition, Ukrainian drones struck the Moscow oil refinery and the Solnechnogorsk oil depot for the first time. Several enterprises involved in microelectronics production were also targeted by Ukrainian drones.
In addition to their own drones, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have also acquired Ukrainian-made guided bombs. The first guided bomb is already ready for combat use. And this isn’t some old Soviet design, it’s a brand-new development by Ukrainian engineers.
