The "Technical" is a generic name given to make-shift military vehicles crudely developed on the chassis of existing 4x4 all-wheel drive civilian-minded vehicles - typically seen as a flatbed pickup truck whose driving cabin is the only obstruction for any trainable weapon installed over the rear section. Technicals are low-cost options for low-budget militaries and militia groups requiring mobile firepower and provide a fast-attack capability against both established forces and lesser foes. Such vehicles serve well for local intimidation, as reconnaissance mounts, and in the ambush role where their weaponry can be quickly brought to bear on unsuspecting targets. The versatility of the platform is only limited by the imagination of the fighting force and the tolerances of the chassis in play. Throughout history, Technicals have been fitted with an array of light-to-medium-class military hardware - rocket projectors (in the MLRS role), heavy machine guns, medium machine guns, recoilless rifles, and complete Anti-Aircraft (AA) cannon systems being just some examples. The usual inherent four-wheel drive functionality allows for a certain level of off-road performance though this is sometimes hampered by the weight of the combat equipment installed. Additionally, Technicals usually forgo armor protection and supply very little survivability to its crew.
The modern day form of the Technical emerged from the fighting in Somalia during the early 1990s. However, such improvised vehicles saw their origins much earlier during the fighting of World War 1 (1914-1918) where standard civilian-minded chassis (truck or car) were modified as roving ground attack vehicles through installation of weapons and armor plating. In some cases, the results were viable war machines but, in others, the vehicles were too heavy for off-road use and clumsy to wield in action thanks to their high profiles. Nevertheless, the low-cost option allowed warplanners an edge over less technically-advanced foes though, on a modern battlefield against a technically superior enemy, Technicals have proven poor battle wagons that offer little tactical value. The Technical evolved throughout the interwar years since The Great War and saw additional work on their kind during the fighting of World War 2 (1939-1945) - particularly in far-off places where soldiers had to make do with what was available to them.
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Afghanistan; Algeria; Chad; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Imperial Russia; Iraq; Lebanon; Liberia; Libya; Mauritania; Morocco; North Korea; Somalia; Sudan; Syria
(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Anti-Aircraft / Airspace Denial
Base model or variant can be used to search, track, and neutralize airborne elements at range.
✓Anti-Tank / Anti-Armor
Base model or variant can be used to track, engage, and defeat armored enemy elements at range.
✓Fire Support / Assault / Breaching
Support allied forces through direct / in-direct fire, assault forward positions, and / or breach fortified areas of the battlefield.
✓Armored Car
Design, of typically lightweight nature, providing onroad/offroad capabilities for the scouting or general security roles.
✓Tank-vs-Tank
Engage armored vehicles of similar form and function.
✓Reconaissance
Can conduct reconnaissance / scout missions to assess threat levels, enemy strength, et al - typically through lightweight design.
✓Utility
General utility-minded design to accomplish a variety of battlefield tasks, typically in a non-direct-combat fashion.
Length
14.6 ft 4.45 m
Width
5.6 ft 1.7 m
Height
7.5 ft 2.3 m
Weight
4,409 lb 2,000 kg
Tonnage
2.2 tons LIGHT
(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Technical production variant. Length typically includes main gun in forward position if applicable to the design)
Powerplant:
Highly Variable: 1 x 6- or 8-cylinder gasoline- or diesel-fueled engine (typical) developing at least 50 horsepower.
Variable - has included medium machine guns, heavy machine guns, rocket projectors, recoilless rifles, Anti-Aircraft (AA) cannons and any personal weapons carried by the crew.
Supported Types
(Not all weapon types may be represented in the showcase above)
Dependent on armament fitted. Highly variable.
Highly variable - designs typically use a 4-wheeled chassis but 6-wheeled forms have been fabricated in certain regions where stocks of such vehicles were available.
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective campaigns / operations.
Images Gallery
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Image from the United States Department of Defense imagery database.
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Image from the United States Department of Defense imagery database.
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Afghanistan; Algeria; Chad; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Imperial Russia; Iraq; Lebanon; Liberia; Libya; Mauritania; Morocco; North Korea; Somalia; Sudan; Syria
