Osprey Publishing NVG299 Kurdish Armour Against ISIS 2014-19

Description

One of the most remarkable mechanized campaigns of recent years pitted the brutal and heavily armed jihadis of Islamic State against an improvised force belonging to the Kurdish YPG (later the SDF). While some Kurdish vehicles were originally from Syrian Army stocks or captured from ISIS, many others were extraordinary homemade AFVs based on truck or digger mechanicals, or duskas, the Kurds’ version of the technical. Before US air power was sent to Syria, these were the Kurds’ most powerful and mobile weapons.

Co-written by a British volunteer who fought with the Kurds and an academic expert on armoured warfare, this study explains how the Kurds built and used their AFVs in the war against ‘Daesh’, and identifies as far as possible which vehicles took part in major battles, such as Kobane, Manbij and Raqqa. With detailed new artwork depicting the Kurds’ range of armour and many previously unpublished photos, this is an original and fascinating look at modern improvised mechanized warfare.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

THE ROLE OF ARMOURED FORCES IN SYRIA

ARMED GROUPS IN THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR

The YPG/YPJ

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria

The Syrian Democratic Forces

IMPROVISED ARMOURED FIGHTING VEHICLES

Improvised tanks

Improvised armoured cars

Improvised armoured support vehicles

Improvised armoured personnel carriers

AFV SOURCES: SYRIAN ARMY, ISIS AND COALITION SUPPLIED

Soviet armour

BRDM-2 scout vehicles

Armoured personnel carriers

M1117 armoured security vehicle

The US Army Humvee

Other US-supplied wheeled vehicles

‘TECHNICALS’

12.7mm heavy machine guns

14.5mm KPV

23mm cannon

57mm recoilless rifles and multiple rocket launchers

UNIT STRUCTURE AND TACTICS

THE YPG/SDF WAR AGAINST ISIS

Initial ISIS attacks (2013–14)

The battle of Kobanê (15 September 2014–26 January 2015)

The al-Hasakah offensives (21 February–17 March 2015 and 6 May–31 May 2015)

The Tell Abyad offensive (31 May–10 July 2015)

The battle of Sarrin (18 June–27 July 2015)

The battle of al-Hasakah (23 June–1 August 2015)

The al-Hawl offensive (31 October–30 November 2015)

Tishrin Dam (23–30 December 2015)

The al-Shaddadi offensive (16–24 February 2016)

The Manbij offensive (31 May–21 August 2016)

The Raqqa campaign (6 November 2016–20 October 2017)

Setbacks and victory over ISIS (2017–19)

CONCLUSION

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX