A vedette is a mounted sentry or picket, who has the function of bringing information, giving signals or warnings of danger, etc., to a main body of

troop A troop is a military sub-subunit, originally a small formation of cavalry, subordinate to a squadron. In many armies a troop is the equivalent element to the infantry section or platoon. Exceptions are the US Cavalry and the King's Troo ...

s. In modern terms, the soldiers who man listening-posts are the equivalent of vedettes.

Naval

Navies use the term ''vedette'' to refer to a small scouting or patrol boat. The term has also been used for specific naval vessels (see USS ''Vedette''), and a class of flying boat (see Canadian Vickers Vedette).

Structures

All around

Salisbury Plain Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in southern England covering . It is part of a system of chalk downlands throughout eastern and southern England formed by the rocks of the Chalk Group and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, but st ...

in southern England, the roads connecting the plain with the surrounding countryside feature brick-built guard-posts, staffed by security officers whenever there is military activity beyond such points. They are known as vedettes, and each one is named for a local geographic feature. The ''Gardjola'' is a prominent guard tower on Maltese forts in Malta and an example of a vedette. It may be referred to in French as an '' échauguette''.

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External links

* Cavalry units and formations {{fort-stub