Toyota Hilux with Turkish advanced 70mm Cirit rocket launcher unveiled

At SAHA 2024, Turkish company Roketsan presented a new configuration of its Cirit 70mm laser-guided missile mounted on the eighth-generation Toyota Hilux. This development offers a cheaper option for military operations where accessibility and mobility are important factors. This technical vehicle, also called a Non-Standard Tactical Vehicle (NSTV), was unveiled during a visit by Nigerian officials in July 2024.

Toyota Hilux is known for its durability and reliability, often serving as a weapons carrier or « technique» for waging asymmetric warfare. Its wide use is due to its strength, ease of repair, availability of spare parts worldwide and the ability to work on difficult terrain. This makes it a practical option for both insurgent groups and military forces with limited access to more sophisticated equipment.

The Hilux became prominent in the 1980s in the Chadian-Libyan military conflict, later known as the 'Toyota War', where it played a role in Chad's success against Libyan conventional forces. Since then, it has been widely used in modern military conflicts, often equipped with heavy machine guns, anti-tank missiles and other weapons, providing a mobile firepower option. Its use has been seen in a variety of groups, from rebel forces in Africa and the Middle East to special operations forces from various countries.

The Toyota Hilux in this configuration has been modified with a turret equipped with four Cirit missiles. The Aselsan Karakurt electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) system is mounted on top of the cockpit and includes a laser pointer for target acquisition. This EO/IR system improves the vehicle's ability to identify and engage targets, offering a cost-effective alternative to more expensive, heavily armed systems such as the KMC, which launches UMTAS anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs). In this setup, the Hilux-based system can be effective against lighter targets, providing an alternative to conventional military vehicles.

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The Cirit missile offers three types of warheads: antipersonnel/incendiary/cumulative, high-explosive, and thermobaric. It is designed to bridge the gap between unguided 70 mm rockets and more expensive guided anti-tank systems. The missile can be launched from specially designed units, like the four-missile units fitted to the Hilux, or from launchers compatible with standard Hydra 70 missiles.

The Cirit system is already in use on many Turkish platforms, including:

• T129 ATAK attack helicopter;
• ULAQ Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV);
• Ground Combat Vehicles such as Kaplan with KMC launchers.

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The missile has been used in various military conflicts, including the Kurdish-Turkish conflict, the Syrian civil war, and the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

This configuration demonstrated by Roketsan is consistent with similar concepts seen in other countries. For example, the US has developed a system called VAMPIRE, which launches APKWS II laser-guided missiles from civilian or commercial vehicles. Both systems emphasize the use of relatively simple platforms to deploy advanced weapons, providing cost-effective firepower, especially in situations where traditional armored vehicles may be financially prohibitive.

Roketsan's integration of the Cirit missile into a civilian pickup truck reflects a move towards more affordable and mobile military solutions. The Hilux-based configuration shows how low-cost systems can meet the needs of modern asymmetric warfare. By offering a platform that is less expensive than standard military armored vehicles and can be equipped with precision munitions such as Cirit, Roketsan is responding to the demand for adaptable and cost-effective military systems.