"Technicals" - Japanese PU's w/ big guns are new war horses.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

http://articles.boston.com/2011-04-05/b ... ier-trucks

In Libya and other countries, the new "war horse" on the block for rebel groups, Taliban,
and others is known as a "technical".

These are Toyota, Nissan, or Mitsubishi pickups that have a .50 caliber machine gun or
an anti-aircraft weapon in the bed. They can outrun heavy armor, and are cheap compared
to a proper military vehicle.

The most popular model is the Toyota Hilux.

They used to use American pickups, but couldn't get parts, so the Japanese now get the business.

SIA

[Thomas]

It is my understanding that the term "Jap" was derogatory back in WWII (read at National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, TX some years back). Obviously we are not at war anymore with the Japanese, so it is still a derogatory term?

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Well, I'm not sure. I used the short version so that I could use a more descriptive subject line.

I have changed the subject line to avoid appearing to degrade the Japanese people.

SIA

[Lodge2004]

It's a remake of Rat Patrol

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[gigag04]

There is a book called "Masters of Chaos" - it is a biography of sorts for US ARMY Special Forces. In it, is a story of an ODA that gets in fight with a few hundred Taliban, and they call in close air support. An F-18 pilot (iirc) swoops down to like a few hundred feet and drops a laser guided bomb smack on top of a technical. Pretty huge morale breaker for the opposition.

[Fangs]

Hehe, they're called Warthogs, you n00bs.

[74novaman]

I think these guys are pretty crazy: Instead of a heavy machine gun, they mounted the rocket pod from a Soviet Hind helo...

[PappaGun]

I think these guys are pretty crazy: Instead of a heavy machine gun, they mounted the rocket pod from a Soviet Hind helo...

Seems like it would shear the bolts right off when fired.

But give me a shot. I'd love to try it out, while standing behind something else.

I wonder how it's fired?

Maybe light a fuse? Stand back, put your fingers in your ears,

On another subject in Libya...

I saw one of the "rebels" on the news at the begining of the conflict who was brandishing his weapon in Middle East fashion.
The reporter then said it was empty and he didn't know how to load it.

If a guy can't figure out how to load a gun, he's not a guy, let alone a rebel.

[The Mad Moderate]

On the issue of libya why are whe calling the people "rebels" or the "opposition" if this was the W. adminastration you can bet these folks would be refered to as "freedom fighters"

[74novaman]

I wonder how it's fired?

Maybe light a fuse? Stand back, put your fingers in your ears,

I saw another set of pictures (either of this truck or another equipped in a similar fashion) where they had a cable running from the pod into the cab of the truck. Maybe they just plug it into the cigarette lighter?

[McKnife]

Reminds me of the patrol trucks used in the movie "District 9," which was an awesome movie.

[DoubleJ]

Hehe, they're called Warthogs, you n00bs.

[MasterOfNone]

Seems like it would shear the bolts right off when fired.
...
I wonder how it's fired?

Maybe light a fuse? Stand back, put your fingers in your ears,

I saw another set of pictures (either of this truck or another equipped in a similar fashion) where they had a cable running from the pod into the cab of the truck. Maybe they just plug it into the cigarette lighter?

Never touched a Hind, but the US version are electrically fired by contacts on the back end. So I imagine a car battery (or two) could do the trick.
And there is very little impact on the vehicle. The tube just holds the rocket in line while the trust pushes against the air.

[VMI77]

http://articles.boston.com/2011-04-05/b ... ier-trucks

In Libya and other countries, the new "war horse" on the block for rebel groups, Taliban,
and others is known as a "technical".

These are Toyota, Nissan, or Mitsubishi pickups that have a .50 caliber machine gun or
an anti-aircraft weapon in the bed. They can outrun heavy armor, and are cheap compared
to a proper military vehicle.

The most popular model is the Toyota Hilux.

They used to use American pickups, but couldn't get parts, so the Japanese now get the business.

SIA

New? I seem to remember this term being used in the movie Black Hawk Down back in 2001.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

VMI77:

Well, the reporter on this story happened to call technicals "new", but I remember these
getting some press coverage during whatever year it was that Khaddafi of Libya tried to
grab some Chadian territory.

The Chadians resorted to technicals to repulse Libya's forces.

There was a joke going around that an American was in the market for a Toyota pickup and
the salesman told him "they're tough all right. They've been endorsed by the Chadian army."

SIA