US Army eyes developing soldier-worn drone detection gear

The Army is developing a small, wearable or lightweight device that can alert soldiers when a hostile drone is nearby. The goal is to improve awareness without substantially increasing the combat load. Soldiers could learn that a drone is following or observing them before the threat becomes harder to address.

The device would sense a drone’s distinctive acoustic signature. Different drone platforms produce different sounds, according to DEVCOM C5ISR Center Director Beth Perry. Software could then help identify the detected platform, giving a soldier or unit information needed to take action.

The project remains at a very early stage. Researchers are still working in the laboratory, and the Army has not tested the device. Perry did not disclose its form factor or the project’s next steps. The effort reflects a wider push toward lighter, smaller, and more integrated soldier equipment.

A small device could detect a nearby drone by listening for its acoustic signature. The Army says drone platforms produce different sounds, so those patterns can help reveal that a drone is present. This matters because soldiers may otherwise be observed or targeted without realizing it.

The sensor would be designed for soldier use and would need to remain very lightweight. After detecting a sound, connected software could provide identification. That might tell the soldier or unit what type of drone or platform has been recognized, although the article does not describe the exact identification process.

The Army is also aware of radio-frequency detection as another option. Contractors already offer systems using RF or acoustic sensing. However, the Army’s own acoustic-sensing effort is still early laboratory work. It has not yet been tested, and officials have not revealed the device’s final shape or operating details.

The article gives no exact weight, size, or power figure for the Army’s planned device. Instead, officials describe the goal as a low size, weight, and power solution. The device should provide warning without substantially adding to a soldier’s combat load.

Jami Davis said soldiers need basic awareness that a UAS is observing them, but they should not have to carry another item to get it. The Army wants equipment that is lighter, smaller, and more integrated. It also wants to reduce unique, threat-specific gear carried by tactical soldiers.

Several industry options already integrate drone detection with radios or operate as separate wearable devices. The Army’s project is still in the lab and has not been tested. Therefore, there is no confirmed final weight or promise that the device will add zero weight. Its design target is reduced burden, not a stated number.

Knowing about a drone sooner could prevent soldiers from operating in a false sense of security. Officials said soldiers fear becoming comfortable in a battlespace where they may be observed or targeted at any time. An alert would provide basic situational awareness.

Jami Davis described the immediate priority as helping a soldier know that a UAS is observing them. If the device and its software can detect and identify the platform, the soldier or unit could decide how to respond. The article does not specify what action would follow, so the exact tactical result remains open.

The Army is pursuing this awareness without adding another burdensome item. Early warning could therefore improve readiness while preserving mobility. Still, the proposed sensor is only an early innovation project. It remains in laboratory work, and the Army has not yet tested whether it can reliably deliver that warning in the field.

The Army is not starting from zero. Multiple defense contractors already offer drone-sensing solutions. Some integrate the detection capability with other equipment, including radios. Others work as stand-alone wearable devices that a soldier can carry or wear.

These systems use at least two detection approaches identified in the article. Radio-frequency detection looks for signals associated with a drone or its operation. Acoustic detection listens for the platform’s distinctive sound. The article does not compare their ranges, accuracy, or performance in different environments.

The Army wants to improve such solutions by making them smaller, lighter, and more integrated. An Army sergeant in Germany also improvised a personal RF-based detector. It could fit in a pocket or pouch and reportedly took about an hour to assemble for approximately $120. The Army’s own device remains an early laboratory project, not a fielded replacement.

The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command’s C5ISR Center is developing the proposed soldier-worn or lightweight detector. Beth Perry, the center’s director, said the technology emerged from recent innovation sprints. Jami Davis, assistant director for Soldier and Platform Mission Equipment, described the user need for basic drone awareness.

The center is exploring a sensor that could detect drone acoustic signatures and potentially connect with software for identification. Perry said the project is intended to provide a low size, weight, and power solution for a known threat. The Army has not publicly described the device’s form factor.

The work is still very early. Perry said researchers are doing laboratory work, and the device has not yet been tested. She also could not discuss the effort’s way forward. The project therefore represents experimentation rather than a fielded capability or confirmed acquisition program.

Radio-frequency signals are transmissions in the radio spectrum. A detector can use them to find emissions associated with a drone or its operation. Acoustic signatures are the distinctive sounds produced by a platform. The Army says different drones have different acoustic signatures, making sound another possible warning clue.

UAS stands for unmanned aircraft system, the term officials use for a drone and its associated system. A soldier device could listen for the aircraft’s sound or detect relevant RF activity. Software might then help identify the platform after detection. The article does not specify which signals the Army’s planned device will use.

Contractors already offer systems based on RF or acoustic detection. The Army’s current innovation effort emphasizes lightweight soldier-based sensing, especially acoustic signatures discussed by Beth Perry. The project remains in the laboratory and has not been tested, so its final sensing method and reliability are not yet established.