| Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 12 December 1949 - Present |
| Country |  Sri Lanka |
| Branch |  Sri Lanka Army |
| Type | Engineering |
| Role | Combat Support |
| Size | 6000 in 6 Units |
| Regimental Centre | Slave Island, Colombo |
| Motto(s) | Skill to Battle |
| Colors | |
| March | Quick:Lillibullero |
| Anniversaries | 12 December (Regimental day) |
| Engagements | 1971 Insurrection Insurrection 1987-89 Sri Lankan Civil War |
| Website | https://alt.army.lk/sleme/ |
| Commanders | |
| Centre Commandant | Brig Duminda Gunasinghe |
| Current Director EME | Maj Gen Indu Samarakoon |
| Colonel of the Regiment | Maj Gen Indu Samarakoon |
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The Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (SLEME) (Sinhala: ශ්රී ලංකා විදුලි හා යාන්ත්රික ඉංජිනේරු රෙජිමේන්තුව Shri Lanka Viduli Ha Yanthrika Injineru Rejimentuwa) is a Combat Support corps of the Sri Lanka Army. It is made up of six regular regiments and one volunteer (reserve) regiment. Regiment Center located at Kew Road, Slave Island, Colombo.[1] The present strength of the corps is 200 officers and 5763 other ranks.[2]
The role of the Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (SLEME) is to repair and maintain all electrical, mechanical biomedical, and optical equipment in the SL Army, except for engineer plant and signal equipment. Repair and recovery teams are employed in the field to give repair and recovery support to operational commitments. In addition to its classic role, SLEME is tasked to function essential services such as electricity (power generation), water supply drainage, and railways during times of workers unrest and strikes. There are three base workshops at Udawalawe, Katubedda, and Colombo for base repairs of vehicles and equipment. Corps consists of a trade school to uplift the knowledge of its members at Gannoruwa-Kandy.[3] The SLEME also undertakes the production of Unibuffel APCs.[4]
The Corps of Ceylon Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (CEME) was born on 12 December 1949 with the enlistment of 2/Lt. R.A.J Ratnam CEME. The CEME first became operative as a small workshop, located in the Army Headquarters premises under the advisory capacity of Capt. Roy Davies REME. Activities were initially confined to minor repairs to mechanical transport vehicles, armaments, small arms, and the production of a large number of training stores. Later an engineer officer, Maj N.V Matthysz was appointed officer commanding and was its first commanding officer in the rank of lieutenant colonel. The unit moved to Kew Road, Slave Island (where its present Regiment Centre is) on 1 September 1950. This was a command workshop of the REME, and the CEME was fortunate to get the building with some of the available machinery as most of such machinery was back loaded by the British before the handover. The CEME strength when moving to the new premises was 1 British officer seconded form REME, 2 Ceylonese officers, 4-seconded NCOs from the REME, 14 other ranks, and some civilian tradesmen.[4][1]
During the 1971 JVP insurrection helped maintain transport services handling train and bus services as the civil administration became crippled in many areas. The Light Aid Detachment (LAD) which was stationed in Modara was improved and converted to the 100 CEME Armoured Workshop and CEME began converting trucks into improvised armoured vehicles.[5] After Sri Lanka became a republic in the year 1972 the British queens crown (Regalia) which adored every state symbol up to this time was replaced by the 'Dharmachakraya' symbol instead which included the CEME emblem and CEME was renamed into SLEME (Sri Lanka Electrical and Mechanical Engineers).[6]
During the Sri Lankan Civil War, SLEME developed the first armoured vehicle called "YAKA" which was further developed to create the "Unicorn" type and in 1997 the modernisation of the Unicorn led to the production of Unibuffel vehicles.[6][7]
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