Kurdish Armour Against ISIS
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 With detailed new artwork depicting the Kurds’ range of armour and many previously unpublished photos, this is an original and fascinating look at modern improvised mechanized warfare.
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 holds a degree in History; and, he has published a number of articles on counter-insurgency, weapons technology and military affairs.
Alaric Searle is Professor of History at University of Potsdam, Germany, and Academic Director, Head of Research and Deputy Commander at the Bundeswehr Centre for Military History and Social Sciences, Potsdam, Germany.
Irene Cano Rodríguez (known as Araire) is a freelance artist working and living in Spain. Since 2014, she has worked as a specialized historical illustrator, recreating historical scenes for museums, studios, editorials and magazines.