A technical is a fighting vehicle. It is usually an open-backed civilian pickup truck on which is mounted a recoilless rifle, heavy machine gun, mortar, or another relatively small weapons system. They are usually unarmored. The term can also refer to any improvised fighting vehicle, usually by a local militia force and usually being a modified civilian vehicle or other similar machine. Pickup truck with extended cabin and homebuilt lumber rack. ... M67 recoilless rifle The first effective recoilless rifles (RCL) were developed during World War II as a lightweight form of anti-tank weaponry. ... A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ... Soldier Firing the M224 60mm Mortar. ...

While the term "technical" appears to have originated in Mogadishu, Somalia, this type of vehicle is employed throughout the world by irregular and militia forces in urban warfare. 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 for these bribes was often written off as "technical expenses". A Mogadishu boy straddles the remains of a US Black Hawk helicopter during the 1992-1995 UN peacekeeping operation Mogadishu (Somali: Muqdisho) is a city in eastern Africa, on the Indian Ocean. ... Irregular soldiers in Beauharnois, Quebec, 19th century Irregular military refers to any non-standard military. ... A militia is a group of citizens organized to provide paramilitary service. ... The terms Red Cross and Red Crescent are often used as short names for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, or its two leading international organs, the ICRC and the IFRCS. This page is about the symbol itself, see respective articles for information about the organizations and movements. ...

They are employed in two distinct modes; either while moving at high speed, indiscriminately spraying an area with fire, or approaching a fixed target rapidly, suddenly stopping, and firing aimed shots. Terrain permitting, technicals have been used to dramatic effect in a variety of third world conflicts. In 1987, technicals from Chad drove the Lybian army from the Aozou Strip and dove into Libya itself, raiding military bases over 150 km north of the border. For the Jamaican reggae band, see Third World (band). ... 1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Aozou Strip (alternatively, Aouzou Strip) is a portion of northern Chad which lies along the border with Libya, extending south to a depth of about 100 kilometers into Chads Bourkou-Ennedi-Tibesti prefecture. ...

See also

• Humvee
• Tachanka
• wiktionary:Technical