he term “technical” is often used to describe a civilian vehicle — usually a 4x4 pickup like the venerable Toyota Hilux — that has been modified to carry an onboard weapon system such as a heavy machine gun, anti-aircraft cannon, or anti-tank rocket launcher. The underlying light, mobile weapon concept dates back far beyond the automobile to horse-drawn tachanka carts of the First World War and carroballistas (essentially huge crossbows mounted on carriages) of the Roman Empire. However, according to the book by Leigh Neville, this descriptor originated during the Somali Civil War in the early-style armed pickup trucks” for protection under the guise of being “technical advisers.”
