LGMB Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Can someone answer this for me? When did the US start describing Technicals as such? Like, what year? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew H. Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 NBA or college? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGMB Posted December 13, 2006 Author Share Posted December 13, 2006 The hell? Technicals- indigenous light attack vehicles built off civilian truck chassis'. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FAI Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Perhaps the first time such vehicles were encountered en masse? Maybe Chad v.s Libya? Or was it Afghanistan.... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LGMB Posted December 13, 2006 Author Share Posted December 13, 2006 Afghanistan when? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FAI Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Mujahedeen v.s. Soviet troops. Don't know exactly the timeframe when they started employing heavily armed picku-up trucks offensively though. It really picked-up in the ensuing civil war. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 My recollection is that the term first appeared , as FAI indicates, during the Chad vs. Libya clash when reporters started calling MG armed COTS Toyota pickup trucks "technicals." After that, we started seeing the same term used regarding Somali and other equipment. From what I can tell, a technical is an armed COTS civilian/ex-civilian vehicle, and that armament can go at least as far as a B-10 82mm recoilless rifle. Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Imperial Grunt Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Well, here is my sea story about that term: "Technicals" were coined by UN personnel and the term came from how security was arranged for WFP personnel and other UN missions in Somalia prior to military intervention. UN personnel loathe to work with military security as they desire to appear "neutral" to both, or all, sides. This is especially true with the International Red Cross. In Somalia a significant security problem developed prior to US Marines coming ashore and the US Army arriving on scene. This presented a problem for the UN and their mandate in Somalia, so, like a good lawyer, the staff on location looked for a technicality in the mandate that allowed them to use UN funds to hire local militia as security for the food warehouses and convoys. Thus the term "technical" was applied to these militia security forces, who sported the civilian trucks with bolt on 12.7mm HMG look. And like most UN plans, paying the militias to protect the goods from one another did not work out very well. Anyways, I am sticking to my story! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aka_tom_w Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 sounds good to me my first thought was Somolia a la Black Hawk Down about 1993 I think. I think Imperial Grunt is offering one very plausible explanation, thanks for sharing. -tom w 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Battlefront.com Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Cool... that's the best (if only!) definition of Technical I've ever heard. I also don't remember hearing the term before Somalia, though for sure they were used all throughout Africa (at the very least) long before that. If it rolls, it will be armed at some point Steve 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 Imperial Grunt, Works for me! More sea stories, please. Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyD Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 ...which begs the question: Is CMSF to see any HMG-armed Toyotas scampering about in the game? I assume (perhaps incorrectly) that .50 cal Browning operator animations could be shared for this purpose. You had been hinting about including 'irregular' militia forces as well as proper Syrian TO&E forces. In my mind irregular militias for wide-ranging Red-on-Red engagements would significantly extend the gameplay life of the product But if they don't include them I'll understand. Experience with those CMx1 jeeps with mg mounts show they'd be practically impossible to utilize effectively. [ December 13, 2006, 07:49 AM: Message edited by: MikeyD ] 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offtaskagain Posted December 13, 2006 Share Posted December 13, 2006 I have to wonder how effective mounting a .50 on the back of a pickup really is. The recoil rocks a 12000 lb M1114 UAH pretty hard. I'd be suprised if a pickup homebrew mount could hold up to the stress for very long. Well I suppose a Jeep could mount it. But that at least had a purpouse built pedestal. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aacooper Posted December 15, 2006 Share Posted December 15, 2006 Some of those technicals could have .30 MG's, or homemade RPG launcher apparati. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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