More than 53 Unibuffels had been manufactured as of 2006.
Production history
Although similar to the South AfricanBuffel, it is built entirely by the Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (SLEME). Initial research and development started in 1997 in an effort to field modernized MRAPs in Sri Lankan military service.[2] First production started in 2000.[3]
In 2019, SLEME began to upgrade Unibuffels with blast shock absorption seats and better protection. In 2020 full Air Conditioning was added to those being sent for UN peacekeeping operations in Mali. [4][5]
Combat Usage
Unibuffel MK II
The Unibuffel proved quite successful in the Sri Lankan civil war, it could transport troops through rough terrain with ease, and had good protection, it participated in all Sri Lankan Army operations 2005 onwards.
In June, 2020 nine Unibuffels were deployed to Mali under urgent operational requirements for peacekeeping operations.[7]
Design
The Unibuffel has an enclosed troop compartment and has gun mounts on the front and back to equip it with machine guns.[8] The Typhoon 25mm cannon can also be equipped as a port defense weapon on a flatbed version.[8]
Vehicles were powered by a TATA engine which can deal easily with rough terrain.[1] Bulletproof glass was initially imported from China on a needed basis but later versions use glass manufactured by local suppliers.[1][9]
Variants
The variants of the Unibuffel consist of following categories,
Mark I
Mark II
Mark II Improvised Version (Designed and Manufactured for UN Peacekeeping Missions)
