This OKA Gets a Superhero Makeover

Some vehicles fade into the background. Others get the superhero refresh.

This OKA has spent the better part of 25 years quietly working across Timor-Leste — first arriving in 1999, brought in by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) during the country’s independence struggle. At the time, it wore its original white paintwork and operated as a medical support vehicle, delivering vital supplies to remote and often cut-off communities.

After its humanitarian service, the OKA changed hands — passing to Hazell Brothers, an Australian construction firm working on infrastructure projects during Timor-Leste’s early years of independence. From there, it was eventually acquired by Caltech General Contracting, a locally based company that continues to run the vehicle to this day.

Over the decades, this single OKA has taken on many roles: a field medic’s mule, a fuel truck, a construction workhorse. But in May 2025, to mark Caltech Group’s 25th anniversary, it was time for a transformation.

The refreshed OKA

Repainted in bold red and black, slashed through with a vivid yellow lightning-strike detail, the truck now looks less like a workhorse and more like a hero. It’s a tribute — not just to the vehicle itself, but to everything it’s helped carry through.

From post-conflict support to nation-building logistics, this OKA has rolled through every chapter of modern Timor-Leste — and it’s still going.

Its new look is more than cosmetic. It’s a nod to resilience. A badge of honour. And proof that some machines really do earn their stripes.