Toyota Land Cruiser 79 (LC79)

Also known as

LC79
Land Cruiser 79
Toyota Land Cruiser 79
Toyota Land Cruiser 70 pickup
Land Cruiser 70 Series 79 pick-up
GDJ79
HZJ79
GRJ79
VDJ79

The Toyota Land Cruiser 79, commonly shortened to LC79, is the pickup branch of Toyota's heavy-duty Land Cruiser 70 family. In conflict records it is best treated as a rugged 4x4 chassis and light utility vehicle: Ukrainian sources document LC79-based armored vehicles, Land Cruiser 70-based Dzhura vehicles, and UAT-TISA pickups serving mobility, reconnaissance, logistics, evacuation, and force-protection roles during the full-scale phase of the Russia-Ukraine War.

Toyota Land Cruiser 79 (LC79), 4x4 light utility pickup and armored-conversion chassis, Support Equipment

Image source: Wikimedia Commons GRJ79 Pickup Image

Role in Conflicts

Side: Ukraine

Ukrainian forces received and fielded LC79/Land Cruiser 70-based armored and tactical vehicles, including 11 LC79 APC-SH Fighter2 vehicles for the 36th Marine Brigade in 2022. Later Ukrainian reporting described a Fighter2 driver using one U.S.-built Land Cruiser 79-based vehicle on Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and Kursk-area missions; other source-backed examples include the Dzhura codified in 2024 and UAT-TISA pickups delivered to Ukraine's Defense Forces in 2025-2026.

Role details

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin: Japan; conflict vehicles documented through Ukrainian, U.S.-built, and donor-funded armored conversions
Built by: Toyota Motor Corporation
Built in: Japan
Type: 4x4 light utility pickup and armored-conversion chassis
Service note: 1984-present Land Cruiser 70 family; 1999-present 79 pickup designation
Designer: Toyota Motor Corporation
Designed: Land Cruiser 70 family launched in 1984; 79 pickup designation emerged from later 70-series model updates
Produced: 1984-present Land Cruiser 70 family; current 79 pickup versions remain in selected markets

Specifications

Configuration: Body-on-frame 4x4 pickup in the Land Cruiser 70 family
Current listed body styles: 79 single-cabin and double-cabin pick-up variants in Toyota Gibraltar's Land Cruiser 70 line-up
Example 2.8-liter powertrain: 2.8 L direct-injection turbo diesel; Toyota cites 150 kW / 204 PS and 500 Nm for the reintroduced Land Cruiser 70
Example 4.2-liter option: Toyota Gibraltar lists 4.2 L diesel manual 79 pick-up variants alongside 2.8 L turbo-diesel automatic models
Example double-cab dimensions: Toyota Gambia lists an LC79 2.8L GD double cab at 5,235 mm long, 1,800 mm wide, 1,960 mm high, with 3,180 mm wheelbase and 235 mm ground clearance
Mobility: Ladder-frame 4x4 off-road platform; Toyota highlights rough-road durability and Toyota Gibraltar markets the 70 Series as a heavy-duty utility type
Protection: Base commercial pickup is unarmored; documented Ukrainian conversions add armored capsules or BR6/STANAG-level packages depending on the conversion
Armament options: Conversion-dependent; Ukrainian sources mention turret machine-gun installation on Dzhura and machine gun or automatic grenade launcher options on LC79 APC-SH Fighter2

Conversion Context

Open sources often identify the battlefield vehicle by conversion name rather than by Toyota model alone. This record keeps the LC79 chassis context together while separating three source-backed Ukrainian cases: the LC79 APC-SH Fighter2 bought for the 36th Marine Brigade, the Land Cruiser 70-based Dzhura codified by Ukraine's Ministry of Defence, and the UAT-TISA light armored pickup described as using a reinforced LC79 chassis.

Base role

Commercial 4x4 pickup and chassis for military mobility, patrol, logistics, evacuation, and protected transport conversions.

Armament boundary

The Toyota chassis is not itself the weapon fit; Ukrainian sources describe conversion-dependent turret, machine-gun, grenade-launcher, and protection packages.

Catalog boundary

The INKAS Titan-S remains a separate catalog entry because it is a named APC conversion with its own direct conflict-use record.

Sources: Come Back Alive LC79 Fighter2 Purchase; Ukraine MoD Dzhura Codification; UNITED24 UAT-TISA Deliveries; INKAS Titan-S Catalog Record.

Variants

LC79 is a chassis and body-style designation within the Land Cruiser 70 family. Conflict sources usually identify the base as LC79 or Land Cruiser 70, while the battlefield vehicle may be a locally or commercially armored conversion.

Variant	Configuration	Designation notes
79 Single Cabin	Two-door pickup	Toyota Gibraltar lists current 79 single-cabin pick-up versions with 2.8-liter turbo-diesel automatic and 4.2-liter diesel manual options. Sources: Toyota Gibraltar Model Line-up
79 Double Cabin	Four-door pickup	Toyota Gibraltar lists current 79 double-cabin pick-up versions with 2.8-liter turbo-diesel automatic and 4.2-liter diesel manual options. Sources: Toyota Gibraltar Model Line-up
LC79 APC-SH Fighter-2	Armored vehicle conversion	Come Back Alive reported purchasing 11 U.S.-made LC79 APC-SH Fighter2 armored vehicles based on the Toyota Land Cruiser 79 for Ukraine's 36th Marine Brigade. Sources: Come Back Alive LC79 Fighter2 Purchase
Dzhura	Land Cruiser 70-based armored vehicle	Ukraine's Ministry of Defence said the Dzhura armored vehicle is built on a Toyota Land Cruiser 70 platform with an armored capsule and optional machine-gun turret. Sources: Ukraine MoD Dzhura Codification
UAT-TISA	Reinforced LC79 armored pickup	UNITED24 Media, citing UkrArmoTech and Militarnyi reporting, described UAT-TISA as a light armored vehicle based on a reinforced Toyota Land Cruiser LC79 chassis. Sources: UNITED24 UAT-TISA Deliveries
INKAS Titan-S	Land Cruiser 79-based APC	The cataloged INKAS Titan-S is a separate Land Cruiser 79-based armored personnel carrier with its own direct Ukraine conflict-use record. Sources: INKAS Titan-S Catalog Record

Armored Conversions

Several cataloged protected-mobility vehicles use the Land Cruiser 79 / LC79 chassis as the base vehicle for armor, seating, and mission-equipment packages.

Compatible item	Item type	Compatibility evidence
LC79 APC-SH Fighter-2	Light armored personnel carrier	Come Back Alive identified the LC79 APC-SH Fighter2 vehicles bought for Ukraine's 36th Marine Brigade as armored vehicles based on the Toyota Land Cruiser 79. Sources: Come Back Alive LC79 Fighter2 Purchase
UAT-TISA	Light armored tactical pickup	UNITED24 Media described UAT-TISA as a light armored pickup based on a reinforced Toyota Land Cruiser LC79 chassis. Sources: UNITED24 UAT-TISA Deliveries
INKAS Titan-S	4x4 armored personnel carrier	Army Recognition identifies the INKAS Titan-S as a 4x4 armored personnel carrier using a Toyota Land Cruiser 79 OEM chassis. Sources: Army Recognition Titan-S Technical Data

Compatible item

Item type

Compatibility evidence

LC79 APC-SH Fighter-2

Light armored personnel carrier

Come Back Alive identified the LC79 APC-SH Fighter2 vehicles bought for Ukraine's 36th Marine Brigade as armored vehicles based on the Toyota Land Cruiser 79.

Sources: Come Back Alive LC79 Fighter2 Purchase

UAT-TISA

Light armored tactical pickup

UNITED24 Media described UAT-TISA as a light armored pickup based on a reinforced Toyota Land Cruiser LC79 chassis.

Sources: UNITED24 UAT-TISA Deliveries

INKAS Titan-S

4x4 armored personnel carrier

Army Recognition identifies the INKAS Titan-S as a 4x4 armored personnel carrier using a Toyota Land Cruiser 79 OEM chassis.

Sources: Army Recognition Titan-S Technical Data

Timeline

Toyota Land Cruiser 79 (LC79) Key Events

Nov 2, 1984
Land Cruiser 70 family released
Toyota's vehicle-lineage record gives the Land Cruiser 70 release date as November 2, 1984 and describes it as successor to the 40 Series.
Sources: Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Lineage
Sep 8, 2022
LC79 Fighter2 vehicles bought for Ukrainian marines
Come Back Alive reported buying 11 LC79 APC-SH Fighter2 armored vehicles for Ukraine's 36th Marine Brigade, with the vehicles immediately going to the frontline.
Sources: Come Back Alive LC79 Fighter2 Purchase
Aug 2, 2024
Dzhura codified by Ukraine's Ministry of Defence
Ukraine's Ministry of Defence announced that the Land Cruiser 70-based Dzhura light armored vehicle had been codified and admitted for use by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Sources: Ukraine MoD Dzhura Codification
Dec 10, 2024
Fighter2 frontline service described
Texty reported Come Back Alive's account of LC79 APC-SH Fighter2 vehicles after more than two years in Ukrainian service, including missions in Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and the Kursk area.
Sources: Texty Fighter2 Frontline Service
Jan 13, 2026
UAT-TISA deliveries reported
UNITED24 Media reported that UkrArmoTech delivered 16 UAT-TISA light armored pickups to Ukraine's Defense Forces in December 2025 as part of a larger armored-vehicle delivery batch.
Sources: UNITED24 UAT-TISA Deliveries