Everything about Technical Fighting Vehicle totally explained
A
technical is a type of
improvised fighting vehicle, typically a civilian or military non-combat vehicle, modified to provide an offensive capability. It is usually an open-backed civilian
pickup truck or
4x4 on which is mounted a
recoilless rifle, a
machine gun, a light
anti-aircraft gun, or another relatively small weapons system.
The term "technical" used to describe such a vehicle appears to have originated in
Somalia. The name is thought to have derived from use by the
Red Cross there who were often forced to bribe local militias or be the victim of robbery and attacks. The money used for the bribe was then written off as "technical expenses".
Other terms for them are
battlewagons,
gunwagons, or
gunships.
Amongst irregular armies, often centered around the perceived strength and charisma of
warlords, the prestige power of technicals is strong. According to one article, "The Technical is the most significant symbol of power in southern Somalia. It is a small truck with large tripod machine guns mounted on the back. A warlord's power is measured by how many of these vehicles he has."
Combat history
The history of such improvised fighting vehicles stems back through the era of the
automobile and the
machine gun, and even earlier, to the horse-drawn
tachanka of eastern Europe. During
World War II, the British
Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) were noted for their exploits in the deserts of Egypt, Libya and Chad on similar precursor vehicles. A popular American television series
The Rat Patrol of the 1960s very clearly illustrated the use of Technical-style vehicles during WWII.
In
1987, technicals from
Chad drove the heavily mechanized
Libyan army from the
Aozou Strip. The vehicles were instrumental in the victory at the
Battle of Fada, and drove into
Libya itself, raiding military bases over 150 km north of the border. The vehicles became so famous that in 1984,
Time Magazine dubbed the conflict the "Great
Toyota War." The irregular vehicles were likewise accompanied by a lack of
chain of command amongst the Chadians, typical of
guerrilla warfare. According to the Time article: "We have no ranks," says Abdul Osman, 21. "We are all combatants, we're all volunteers."
Somalia
Technicals played an important role in the 1990s
Somali Civil War and the recent
War in Somalia (2006–present). In Somalia after the fall of
Siad Barre and the collapse of the
Somali National Army (SNA), it was rare for any force to field a heavy
armored fighting vehicle (AFV), but technicals were very common.
Mohamed Farrah Aidid used 30 technicals along with a force of 600 militia to capture Baidoa in
September 1995. After he was killed in clan fighting in 1996, his body was carried to his funeral on a Toyota pickup.
Proving their suceptibility in the face of heavy weapons, and their value as a prize of combat, the
Islamic Courts Union (ICU) was able to capture 30 "battlewagons" at the defeat of the militia of warlord
Abdi Qeybdid at the
Second Battle of Mogadishu. Thereafter, in
September 2006, an impressive array of 130 technicals were used to take
Kismayo from the forces of the
Juba Valley Alliance.
The ICU attempted to curb the private possession of technicals, impounding them or appropriating them for use by the army of the Islamic Courts:
We were sceptical, but everyone we've spoken to since — doctors, teachers, journalists, shopkeepers — has talked of a city transformed. Gone are the ubiquitous checkpoints where the warlords’ militias killed, extorted and stole. Gone are their technicals, Jeeps with heavy machine guns mounted on the back. The infamous Bakaro arms markets has been closed. The only guns and technicals now are those of the Sharia courts enforcers.
On
November 13,
2006, the President of
Puntland, General
Adde Musa personally led 50 battlewagons to Galkayo to confront the Islamists; they were used a month later alongside Abdi Qeybdid's reconstituted militia, backed by heavy Ethiopian reinforcements, against the army of the
Islamic Courts Union at the
Battle of Bandiradley.
However, forced into conventional battles in the
War in Somalia of
2006–
07, the unarmored technicals of the ICU proved no match for the
T-55 tanks,
Mi-24 helicopter gunships and
fighter bombers employed by
Ethiopia.
Afghanistan
In the
War in Afghanistan (2001–present),
US Special Operations Forces, are known to use technicals for patrol of the rugged terrain and the nature of their
clandestine operations.
Iraq
Technicals were used by
Iraqi forces in the
2003 invasion of Iraq. The
Iraqi Republican Guard and
Fedayeen emulated tactics of the
Somali National Alliance with limited success, but were outmatched by
Coalition armour and aviation.
In the aftermath of the invasion Technicals saw use by
Iraqi insurgents (some of them former members of the
Fedayeen) for transporting personnel and quick raids against the
Iraqi police Forces. The insurgent use of Technicals increased after the
Iraq Spring Fighting of 2004.
All models of the
Humvee (for example M1114) allow for weapon mounts by design, thus the HMMWV isn't generally classified the same as a technical.
The Coalition also supplied technicals to the
Iraqi police.
Private military contractors also use technicals. as do the
Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) troops in defense of their areas of operations.
Chad
Technicals have been used by both sides in the
war in Chad, including at the
2006 and
2008 battles of N'Djamena.
Lebanon
Opposition forces have reportedly used technicals in the fighting for the
Chouf District during the
May 2008 clashes in Lebanon.
Further Information
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