Personnel Detection Device
Encyclopedia
What it is
When soldiers participate in military exercises their actions can be recorded. This is done with the help of sensors and various software programs. However, the soldier needs to be connected to this system somehow. This is what the Personnel Detection Device (PDD) does.The Personnel Detection Device (PDD), produced by Swedish defence company Saab
Saab
Saab AB is a Swedish aerospace and defence company, founded in 1937. From 1947 to 1990 it was the parent company of automobile manufacturer Saab Automobile, and between 1968 and 1995 the company was in a merger with commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania, known as Saab-Scania.-History:"Svenska...
, is a type of vest which the soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
wears during exercise. The vest contains detectors that record hits and misses from laser operated weapons. Detectors can also be placed on the soldiers’ helmets.
How it works
When the “enemy” fires at the soldier wearing the PDD, the PDD laser detectors register whether the show, would have been a hit or not. This information is then presented on a computer screen that the supervisor of the exercise can read. This enables a more realistic training for soldiers. This is important and the point of simulated training.The system also enables the exercise to be accompanied by audio effects, for example the sound of a bullet “swooshing” by. Through the loudspeakers the soldier receives information, e.g. that he or she has been hit, or additional information from the supervisor. The soldier is also told what type of wound the hit inflicted as well as how much time they have to get medical care. Hence, this is a type of simulated military training mentioned in the article military simulation
Military simulation
Military simulations, also known informally as war games, are simulations in which theories of warfare can be tested and refined without the need for actual hostilities. Many professional contemporary analysts object to the term wargames as this is generally taken to be referring to the civilian...
.