Uploaded April 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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Makeshift or improvised vehicles are a very common occurrence in modern, asymmetrical conflicts. The origins behind the creation of these vehicles can be very diverse. In some cases, it can be to try and make something which originally was not a fighting vehicle into one, or to bring mobility to a weapon system. One may, for example, mention the numerous Toyota Land Cruiser 70 series-based technicals which have been created by dozens of international and state actors in many different conflicts. In other cases, improvised vehicles take the form of modifying already existing vehicles, often captured or seized from a pre-existing force, to repurpose them, or perhaps reuse components of operational vehicles to create a functional one (for example mating a functioning turret from the hull of a broken down vehicle onto another hull, or creating a new turret for a functional hull which lacks one). In some cases, an improvised vehicle may even best be described as a combination of two already pre-existing types – such is the case of a light tank that was created by the rebel/terrorist group known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), often known simply as the Tamil Tigers, of Sri Lanka. This vehicle combined the turret of a British FV601 Saladin armored car with the modified hull of a Chinese YW531 to create what was now a tracked light tank.
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Sources:
military-today.com/apc/yw_531.htm
army-guide.com/eng/product586.html
SIPRI Arms Trade Database
Yarl.com
CISAC Stanford
Sri Lanka Declares Victory, The Wall Street Journal, May 19 2009
Army.lk (official Sri Lanka army website)
With special thanks to Leander Jobse who provided helpful aid in researching this article.
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An article and script by Marisa Belhote
Narrated by Sosoniaru
Edited by Feldmarchall
The first 1,000 people to use the link or my tankencyclopedia will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: https://skl.sh/tankencyclopedia04221
Makeshift or improvised vehicles are a very common occurrence in modern, asymmetrical conflicts. The origins behind the creation of these vehicles can be very diverse. In some cases, it can be to try and make something which originally was not a fighting vehicle into one, or to bring mobility to a weapon system. One may, for example, mention the numerous Toyota Land Cruiser 70 series-based technicals which have been created by dozens of international and state actors in many different conflicts. In other cases, improvised vehicles take the form of modifying already existing vehicles, often captured or seized from a pre-existing force, to repurpose them, or perhaps reuse components of operational vehicles to create a functional one (for example mating a functioning turret from the hull of a broken down vehicle onto another hull, or creating a new turret for a functional hull which lacks one). In some cases, an improvised vehicle may even best be described as a combination of two already pre-existing types – such is the case of a light tank that was created by the rebel/terrorist group known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), often known simply as the Tamil Tigers, of Sri Lanka. This vehicle combined the turret of a British FV601 Saladin armored car with the modified hull of a Chinese YW531 to create what was now a tracked light tank.
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youtube.com/channel/UC2tZSN6WSAtzKLalKbflBLg/join
If you liked this video, please consider donating on Patreon or Paypal!
Patreon: patreon.com/tankartfund
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Article: tanks-encyclopedia.com/tamil-tigers-light-tank
Sources:
military-today.com/apc/yw_531.htm
army-guide.com/eng/product586.html
SIPRI Arms Trade Database
Yarl.com
CISAC Stanford
Sri Lanka Declares Victory, The Wall Street Journal, May 19 2009
Army.lk (official Sri Lanka army website)
With special thanks to Leander Jobse who provided helpful aid in researching this article.
Reddit: reddit.com/r/TankEncyclopedia
TE Shop: tanks-encyclopedia.com/Goodies/tanks-posters.php
Our website: tanks-encyclopedia.com
Gaming News Website: tanks-encyclopedia.com/games
Facebook: facebook.com/tanksencyclopedia
Twitter: twitter.com/tanksenc
Discord: discord.gg/3VjQ8Zq
Email: tanks.encyclopedia@gmail.com
An article and script by Marisa Belhote
Narrated by Sosoniaru
Edited by Feldmarchall
