U.S. Soldiers Train to Identify Drones by Sound in Lithuania Exercise

U.S. soldiers assigned to the 2nd Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment practiced identifying drones by their distinct sounds during force-on-force training at the Pabradė Training Area in Lithuania. 0, ran during the first two weeks of May 2026 and focused on detecting, tracking, and defeating low-cost unmanned aerial systems.

Sgt. 1st Class Tyler Harrington, a platoon sergeant for Eagle Troop, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, described the shift in awareness required during patrols. "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," Harrington said during a May 14 virtual media roundtable.

Harrington explained that one-way attack drones produce a higher, faster buzz while reconnaissance drones fly at higher altitudes and hover on flatter platforms. U.S. Army has not yet added audio drone training to its formal curriculum, but Harrington said field experience from the exercise provides an introduction to distinguishing drone types.

Ukrainian forces have trained troops to recognize the sound of approaching drones and to take immediate cover when someone shouts "air," according to a report by the CBA Initiatives Center. U.S. Center for Army Lessons Learned described Ukraine’s use of passive acoustic sensor networks with directional microphones and local computers to cue nearby teams to neutralize first-person-view drones.

U.S. leadership consider adopting similar acoustic detection methods, particularly along NATO’s eastern flank.