the shorland

Local & Global Significance 

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The Shorland was in operation from 1966 to 1998 in Northern Ireland. It has also been deployed in conflicts across the globe, including the Lebanese Civil War (1975- 1990), Rhodesian Bush War (1964- 1979) and, the Sri Lankan Civil War (1983- 2009).

The Shorland continues to be used in 29 countries worldwide, including Argentina, the Netherlands, Portugal, Thailand and Turkey.

Of the first batch of 10 Shorlands produced by Shorts and Harland, the vehicle in our collection is the ninth Shorland to be produced.  

Our commitment to exploring narratives and experiences of the conflict through our ‘Troubles and Beyond’ initiative makes this Shorland a significant acquisition for the Ulster Transport Museum and National Museums Northern Ireland.

Design & Manufacturing

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The Shorland was designed by Frederick Butler in the early 1960s, after a request from the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) for a vehicle fit for security duties and border patrols during escalating tensions in Northern Ireland.

The first design meeting took place in November 1961, with the third and final prototype completed in 1964. The first Shorlands were delivered in 1966. Shorts and Harland ran production from the Glen Works in Newtownards, but production soon moved to Belfast.

The Shorland vehicles were originally built using the chassis from the Series IIA Land Rover. The turret on the Shorland was often seen as threatening, with the media reporting that it looked like a "tank". In response to this, the RUC replaced the roof with a steel plate and had the machine gun turret’s removed. The gun barrel that can be seen in the Shorland in our collection is a replica made by the former owner. 

The Shorlands were reallocated to the Ulster Defence Regiment in 1970. 

Specifications 

Battleship grey was the standard colour for many RUC vehicles. The Shorland in our collection was based on a grey Land Rover, and painted in an emerald-green satin finish.  

The Shorland has a maximum speed of 55 mph (88 kph), with an upgraded suspension to deal with the extra weight of the armour.  

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It was developed to carry a crew of three to a vehicle. Eventually, Shorlands were designed to be capable of carrying two people up front and six in the rear.  

This Shorland has two heavy metal windows which can be manually opened from the inside - one for each front passenger. When closed, there is a visor that the passenger can look through. 

At the back of the Shorland, there is a raised seat which allows an individual to operate the machine gun. In this seated position, there is a visor similar to the ones found at the front of the Shorland. This visor allows the operator to see from the machine gun's perspective. The machine gun turret can act independently of where the vehicle is pointing. 

Discontinued

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The Shorland was withdrawn from police duties in January 1970, and this particular Shorland was placed into storage. 

In 1996, the Short Brothers sold the complete Shorland design to British Aerospace Australia.