Technical / Technicals ( Pickup Gun Truck Vehicle) is the Modern 21st Century Horse Archers and Poor Man's Tanks

A technical, in professional military parlance often called a non-standard tactical vehicle (NSTV), is a light improvised fighting vehicle, typically an open-backed civilian pickup truck or four-wheel drive vehicle mounting a machine gun, anti-aircraft gun, rotary cannon, anti-tank weapon, anti-tank gun, ATGM, mortar, multiple rocket launcher, recoilless rifle or other support weapon, somewhat like a light military gun truck or potentially even a self-propelled gun if the needed weapon is placed.

The neologism technical describing such a vehicle is believed to have originated in Somalia during the Somali Civil War in the early 1990s.^[1]^[2] Barred from bringing in private security, non-governmental organizations hired local gunmen to protect their personnel, using money defined as "technical assistance grants". Eventually the term broadened to include any vehicle carrying armed men.^[3] However, an alternative account is given by Michael Maren, who says the term began in Somalia in the 80s, after engineers from Russian arms manufacturer Tekniko began mounting weapons on vehicles for the Somali National Movement.^[1] Technicals have also been referred to as battlewagons, gunwagons,^[4] or gunships.

Among irregular armies, often centered on the perceived strength and charisma of warlords, the prestige 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."^[5] Technicals are not commonly used by well-funded armies that are able to procure purpose-built combat vehicles, because the soft-skinned civilian vehicles that technicals are based on do not offer very good protection to their crew and passengers.

Technicals fill the niche of traditional light cavalry. Their major asset is speed and mobility, as well as their ability to strike from unexpected directions with automatic fire and light troop deployment. Further, the reliability of vehicles such as the Toyota Hilux is useful for forces that lack the repair-related infrastructure of a conventional army. However, in direct engagements they are no match for heavier vehicles, such as tanks or other AFVs.