The Armed Forces of Ukraine has made liberal use of off-road vehicles like the Toyota Hilux, whether to navigate through the frontlines or as a technical with varying purposes. With how the Russian invasion includes launching drone strikes on Ukrainian cities beyond the front, one such role for the technicals is to quickly mobilize and shoot them down before they can strike.

In the capital of Kyiv, the anti-drone team particularly credited a Hilux donated by 1970s McLaren manager Alastair Caldwell for its reliability. During the weekend, Caldwell received a text from Maksym in Lviv, who translated and relayed a message from the Kyiv mobile fire unit.

“Since the summer, the McLaren Hilux has been our most reliable pickup,” the team stated. “Out of all the vehicles we use to shoot down Russian drones, it’s the only one that has never gotten stuck in a field or forest. Please pass along our regards and our gratitude to Alistair once again for his help.”

Caldwell previously led McLaren from 1974 to 1978, winning the 1974 Formula One drivers’ and constructors’ championships with Emerson Fittipaldi followed by the 1976 drivers’ crown with James Hunt. Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, he has auctioned off his vintage car collection to fundraise for Ukraine’s defense. In July, Caldwell joined Driving Ukraine’s caravan from Britain to Lviv with a Hilux.

For the trip, the Hilux sported decals based on the McLaren M23 that Hunt drove to the 1976 title. Upon handover to the AFU, the livery was replaced by camouflage and a machine gun was mounted. From there, it was brought to Kyiv’s neighbor Irpin and has seen extensive action since its arrival.

The Ukrainian capital has continued to face Russian drone attacks and air alerts. From October 22 to 25, at least 13 civilians including children were killed in strikes on Kyiv. One of the largest waves occurred on August 27–28 that resulted in 23 deaths; the Caldwell-donated Hilux was among those defending the city.

“Nice to hear the pickup I donated and drove to Lviv is still operational and doing well,” Caldwell said on Sunday.

For better or worse, the Toyota Hilux is an iconic vehicle for racing as well as military purposes. The Japanese pickup’s reliability and performance make it a popular choice for off-road racing, especially its prototype version that has won the World Rally-Raid Championship’s manufacturers title every year since the series’ inception, and on the battlefield by both sovereign militaries and insurgencies.

Featured image credit: Alastair Caldwell