Kurdish Armour Against ISIS: YPG/SDF tanks, technicals and AFVs in the Syrian Civil War, 2014-19
The US-backed Kurdish YPG/SDF fought on the front line of the war against Islamic State for five years. This study reveals how they developed their own armored force using captured tanks, homebuilt armor and "technicals" and the role they played in the defeat of "Daesh".

The emergence of the armored force of the YPG (People's Protection Units), later renamed the Syrian Democratic Forces during the Syrian Civil War is one of the major developments of this conflict. The YPG/SDF employed a range of vehicles against "Daesh" during 2014-19 and this study identifies, as far as possible which vehicles took part in major battles, such as Kobane, Manbij and Raqqa. While the YPG was frequently outgunned by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS), it was able to rely on United States air support after 2015. Nonetheless, AFVs formed part of the fighting units and were important in both the fighting and propaganda war.

The title covers the original sources of Kurdish tanks and other armored vehicles: the T-55 tanks which the YPG employed were of Syrian Army origin, left behind in the early chaotic days of the civil war; other AFVs were captured from ISIS, and often of US Army origin, lost by the Iraqi Army following the fall of Mosul in 2014; others were constructed by the YPG themselves in workshops. These home-made tanks or infantry transporters were constructed from a variety of vehicles, including rubbish disposal lorries, diggers and other agricultural vehicles. While the tanks and homemade armor attracted Western media attention, the most useful fighting vehicles were the Kurds' technicals, or dushkas (pick-up trucks mounted with heavy-calibre weapons), fast vehicles used for fire support on a large scale.

"1137898193"
Kurdish Armour Against ISIS: YPG/SDF tanks, technicals and AFVs in the Syrian Civil War, 2014-19
The US-backed Kurdish YPG/SDF fought on the front line of the war against Islamic State for five years. This study reveals how they developed their own armored force using captured tanks, homebuilt armor and "technicals" and the role they played in the defeat of "Daesh".

The emergence of the armored force of the YPG (People's Protection Units), later renamed the Syrian Democratic Forces during the Syrian Civil War is one of the major developments of this conflict. The YPG/SDF employed a range of vehicles against "Daesh" during 2014-19 and this study identifies, as far as possible which vehicles took part in major battles, such as Kobane, Manbij and Raqqa. While the YPG was frequently outgunned by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS), it was able to rely on United States air support after 2015. Nonetheless, AFVs formed part of the fighting units and were important in both the fighting and propaganda war.

The title covers the original sources of Kurdish tanks and other armored vehicles: the T-55 tanks which the YPG employed were of Syrian Army origin, left behind in the early chaotic days of the civil war; other AFVs were captured from ISIS, and often of US Army origin, lost by the Iraqi Army following the fall of Mosul in 2014; others were constructed by the YPG themselves in workshops. These home-made tanks or infantry transporters were constructed from a variety of vehicles, including rubbish disposal lorries, diggers and other agricultural vehicles. While the tanks and homemade armor attracted Western media attention, the most useful fighting vehicles were the Kurds' technicals, or dushkas (pick-up trucks mounted with heavy-calibre weapons), fast vehicles used for fire support on a large scale.

19.0 In Stock
Kurdish Armour Against ISIS: YPG/SDF tanks, technicals and AFVs in the Syrian Civil War, 2014-19

Kurdish Armour Against ISIS: YPG/SDF tanks, technicals and AFVs in the Syrian Civil War, 2014-19

Kurdish Armour Against ISIS: YPG/SDF tanks, technicals and AFVs in the Syrian Civil War, 2014-19

Kurdish Armour Against ISIS: YPG/SDF tanks, technicals and AFVs in the Syrian Civil War, 2014-19

Paperback

$19.00 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    Qualifies for Free Shipping
  • PICK UP IN STORE
    Check Availability at Nearby Stores

Related collections and offers


Overview

The US-backed Kurdish YPG/SDF fought on the front line of the war against Islamic State for five years. This study reveals how they developed their own armored force using captured tanks, homebuilt armor and "technicals" and the role they played in the defeat of "Daesh".

The emergence of the armored force of the YPG (People's Protection Units), later renamed the Syrian Democratic Forces during the Syrian Civil War is one of the major developments of this conflict. The YPG/SDF employed a range of vehicles against "Daesh" during 2014-19 and this study identifies, as far as possible which vehicles took part in major battles, such as Kobane, Manbij and Raqqa. While the YPG was frequently outgunned by the so-called Islamic State (ISIS), it was able to rely on United States air support after 2015. Nonetheless, AFVs formed part of the fighting units and were important in both the fighting and propaganda war.

The title covers the original sources of Kurdish tanks and other armored vehicles: the T-55 tanks which the YPG employed were of Syrian Army origin, left behind in the early chaotic days of the civil war; other AFVs were captured from ISIS, and often of US Army origin, lost by the Iraqi Army following the fall of Mosul in 2014; others were constructed by the YPG themselves in workshops. These home-made tanks or infantry transporters were constructed from a variety of vehicles, including rubbish disposal lorries, diggers and other agricultural vehicles. While the tanks and homemade armor attracted Western media attention, the most useful fighting vehicles were the Kurds' technicals, or dushkas (pick-up trucks mounted with heavy-calibre weapons), fast vehicles used for fire support on a large scale.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781472847584
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
Publication date: 09/14/2021
Series: New Vanguard
Pages: 48
Sales rank: 738,446
Product dimensions: 7.10(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

Ed Nash fought for the YPG in 2015/16, participating in a number of offensives against the so-called Islamic State. He has recounted his experiences in a memoir entitled Desert Sniper (Little, Brown, 2018). He has traveled through a number of other conflict zones, especially in south-east Asia. He holds a degree in History; and, he has published a number of articles on counter-insurgency, weapons technology, and military affairs more generally.
Alaric Searle is Professor of Modern European History, School of Arts and Media, University of Salford. He is the author of several works on military history, including Armored Warfare: A Military, Political and Global History (Bloomsbury Academic, 2017), and an edited collection of the military papers of Major-General J.F.C. Fuller, published by the Army Records Society (History Press, 2017). He is a frequent contributor to academic journals. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and Visiting Professor at Nankai University, Tianjin, China.

Table of Contents

(Subject to confirmation)
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 (ISIS)
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)
IMPROVISED ARMOURED FIGHTING VEHICLES
AFV SOURCES: SYRIAN ARMY, ISIS AND COALITION SUPPLIED
Soviet Armour
BRDM-2 Scout Vehicles
Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs)
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
CONCLUSION
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews