The Unicorn is a MRAP used by the Sri Lankan military based on the Buffel, which is made by the Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
| Unicorn | |
|---|---|
 A STF Unicorn | |
| Type | Armoured personnel carrier |
| Place of origin |  Sri Lanka |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1987–present |
| Used by |  Sri Lanka Army  Sri Lanka Navy  Sri Lanka Air Force Special Task Force |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers[1] |
| Designed | 1985 |
| Manufacturer | Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers[1] |
| Produced | 1987–Present |
| Variants | Mark I to Mark VI |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 5.8 t |
| Length | 4.8 m (16.73 ft) |
| Width | 2 m (6.73 ft) |
| Height | 2.6 m (9.68 ft) |
| Crew | 2 + 12 passengers |
| Armor | Classified |
Main armament | Twin 7.62mm MG (front) |
| Engine | Diesel Engine |
| Suspension | 4×4 wheeled |
Operational range | 1000 km (621.37 mi) |
| Maximum speed | Road 96km/h (59.61 mph) Off-road 30km/h (18.64 mph) |
Production history
editInitial research into producing a "Blast Protected Vehicle" armoured personnel carrier was led by then Major Jayantha de Silva, who was concerned by the destruction and use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) that the Tamil rebels began using on military troop transport vehicles.[2] These IEDs became rampant in the north and eastern provinces with the escalation of the Sri Lankan Civil War. The many experiments he carried out showed that explosive force dissipates in proportions to the distance travelled.
The research led to the production of vehicles based on a TATA commercial truck chassis with a strong metal hull about two metres from ground level in 1983, which was known under the name Yaka.[3][2] It resulted in the backing of then-Minister for National Security, Hon Lalith Athulathmudali, who co-opted all engineering firms in Sri Lanka to build the vehicles to the specifications drafted by Major de Silva. The project was then handed over to the Electrical and Mechanical Engineers of the Army.
When the rebels found that their IEDs were ineffective, they stopped using them and the production of these vehicles ceased. The rebels began using them again about two years later, and as the Army found itself short of suitable vehicles, a few consignments of the South African-made Buffel vehicles were imported, even though they provided protection only against land mines and proved ineffective against the IEDs. Further development continued in 1985, by both the Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (SLEME) of the Sri Lanka Army[4] and the General Engineering Wing of the Sri Lanka Air Force[5] Both designs were based on the South African Buffels which had been bought in 1985.[6]
The air force developed its own APC for the SLAF Regiment in small numbers. SLEME developed the Unicorn Mark I by 1987, which, too, were produced in large numbers by SLEME for the Sri Lanka Army and for the other services as well.
Combat history
editIt was known to be used in the 1990s during the civil war.[7]
Design
editA distinct feature of the Unicorn was that the driver-passenger compartment was undivided. According to soldiers in the battlefield, this feature made communication among the two sections easier than that in a Buffel where the driver was separated from the passengers.[4]
Variants
editThis section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2008) |
There were several models that were developed as a result of continuous upgrading based on combat requirements. These include Unicorn Mark I to Mark VI.
Production continued until 2000 with a total of 93 Unicorns being produced by SLEME with the Mark VI being produced.[4]
While production was largely stopped for the more advanced Unibuffel upgraded and modified ambulance variant of the Mark VI designed in 2010 entered mass production in 2016.[8]
Operators
edit
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka Army: It's reported that 105 Unicorns are in active service.[9]
Sri Lanka Navy
Sri Lanka Air Force- Special Task Force : Five Unicorns handed to the STF.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b 59th Independence. Retrieved on April 22, 2008.
- ^ a b "Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers".
- ^ "New locally made MPV better at withstanding mines: SLEME". The Sunday Times Sri Lanka. Retrieved 2019-03-10.
- ^ a b c d "The evolution of the indigenous armoured vehicle: From Unicorn to Unibuffel". 2007-09-30. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30.
- ^ Sri Lanka Air Force. Retrieved on April 22, 2008.
- ^ Camp & Heitman, p. 239
- ^ http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=83040 [dead link]
- ^ KATUGAMPALA, MANOHARI. "Military engineers achieve success with modified Unibuffels". Daily News. Retrieved 2020-09-06.
- ^ "Sri Lanka Sri lankan army land ground forces military equipment armoured vehicle pictures | Sri Lanka Army Military UK | Asia UK".
Further reading
edit- Surviving the Ride: A Pictorial History of South African-Manufactured Mine-Protected Vehicles by Steve Camp & Helmoed Römer Heitman