Unicorn class
Encyclopedia
The Unicorn is a mine-protected wheeled APC
used by the Sri Lankan military.
was begun in 1983 by a lone Infantry Major named Jayantha de Silva who was concerned by the destruction wrought by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) that the Tamil terrorists began using on military troop transport vehicles. These IED
s 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. These led to the production of vehicles based on commercial truck chassis with a strong metal hull about two metres from ground level. These proved so successful that the then Minister for National Security, Hon Lalith Athulathmudali
, co-opted all the engineering firms in the country 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 terrorists found that their IEDs were ineffective, they stopped using them and the production of these vehicles ceased. The terrorists 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 and the General Engineering Wing of the Sri Lanka Air Force Both designs were based on the South Africa
n Buffel
s which had been bought in 1985.
The air force developed its own APC for the SLAF Regiment
in small numbers. The SLEME developed the Unicorn Mark I by 1987, which too where produced in large numbers by the SLEME for the Sri Lanka Army and for the other services as well.
A 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.
.
Armoured personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...
used by the Sri Lankan military.
Production history
Initial research into producing a "Blast Protected Vehicle" armoured personnel carrierArmoured personnel carrier
An armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fighting vehicle designed to transport infantry to the battlefield.APCs are usually armed with only a machine gun although variants carry recoilless rifles, anti-tank guided missiles , or mortars...
was begun in 1983 by a lone Infantry Major named Jayantha de Silva who was concerned by the destruction wrought by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) that the Tamil terrorists began using on military troop transport vehicles. These IED
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
s became rampant in the north and eastern provinces with the escalation of the Sri Lankan Civil War
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
. The many experiments he carried out showed that explosive force dissipates in proportions to the distance travelled. These led to the production of vehicles based on commercial truck chassis with a strong metal hull about two metres from ground level. These proved so successful that the then Minister for National Security, Hon Lalith Athulathmudali
Lalith Athulathmudali
Lalith William Samarasekera Athulathmudali , PC was a Sri Lankan politician of the United National Party and former Cabinet Minister of Trade, National Security, Agriculture, Education and deputy minister of defence.-Early life and teaching career:Born to a family of Lawyers, his...
, co-opted all the engineering firms in the country 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 terrorists found that their IEDs were ineffective, they stopped using them and the production of these vehicles ceased. The terrorists 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
Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
The Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers - is a Combat Support corps of the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of six regular regiments and one volunteer regiment. Regiment Center located at Kew Road, Slave Island, Colombo...
(SLEME) of the Sri Lanka Army and the General Engineering Wing of the Sri Lanka Air Force Both designs were based on the South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n Buffel
Buffel
The Buffel is a mine-protected APC used by the South African Army during the South African Border War. The Buffel was also used as an armoured fighting vehicle and proved itself in this role...
s which had been bought in 1985.
The air force developed its own APC for the SLAF Regiment
Sri Lanka Air Force Regiment
The Sri Lanka Air Force Regiment is a specialized ground combat corps within the Sri Lanka Air Force , responsible for capturing and defending airfields and associated installations. Its members are the SLAF Regiment Officers and the airmen of operations ground specialization...
in small numbers. The SLEME developed the Unicorn Mark I by 1987, which too where produced in large numbers by the SLEME for the Sri Lanka Army and for the other services as well.
A 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.
Variants
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 the SLEME with the Mark VI being produced. The production of the Unicorn Mark VI was stopped when the SLEME started producing the more advanced UnibuffelUnibuffel
The Unibuffel is a mine-protected wheeled APC used by the Sri Lankan military.-Production history:Although similar to the South African Buffel, it is built entirely by the Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers...
.
Operators
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- Sri Lanka Army
- Sri Lanka Navy
- Sri Lanka Air Force RegimentSri Lanka Air Force RegimentThe Sri Lanka Air Force Regiment is a specialized ground combat corps within the Sri Lanka Air Force , responsible for capturing and defending airfields and associated installations. Its members are the SLAF Regiment Officers and the airmen of operations ground specialization...