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The Kurdish Homemade Tanks May Look Funny But They're No Joke

SvenSvensonov

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There's been a lot of attention on the internet recently to the funny-looking home-made tanks Kurdish forces have been building to help with their fight against ISIS, or ISIL, or whatever we call that pack of assholes. Most of that attention has been, frankly, ridicule. I'm not so sure that ridicule is warranted here.

It's not like I can't understand the urge to ridicule here — the tanks are pretty funny-looking. Some are almost like cute cartoon versions of tanks, with chubby proportions and many obviously hand-made looking details. But I don't think we can judge these based on what we know about modern tanks or Armored Personnel Carriers, or assume that the people who've been building these things even think of them as substitutes for actual tanks.
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I think if you assume that these are built with the naive idea that they're going to work as well as conventional, factory-built tanks, of course they seem absurd, and most of the harshest criticism seems to be making this assumption.

But that's not the case. As others have pointed out, these are armored vehicles, not tanks, and they're used with extensive infantry support. These tanks aren't expected to deal with anti-tank weapons or rocket-propelled grenades. They could be very effective against small arms fire, shrapnel from mortar and rocket fire, both of which are a huge deal during the conflict. They provide a relatively safe and mobile location for soldiers in such small arms battles, and I know I sure as hell would rather have one of these than nothing.

They're also used as ambulances to provided protected transport of soldiers out of harm's way, and it's easy to see how any sort of armor would be appreciated in such a role.


Engineering-wise, they're not sneeze-targets, either. Most are built on truck or construction-equipment chassis, and while their armor isn't amazing, they're still pretty impressive work when you consider the makeshift and desperate conditions they're built in.

Sure, they may not be able to take a HEAT round directly, but how many US lightly armored vehicles can? If we're going to criticize these things, let's at least try and be realistic about what they are.

From the looks of things, they're being remarkably creative with this stuff. I'm not 100% certain, but I think some of these are using repurposed dumpsters for body panels. Sure, some of the camo looks like the pattern you'd find on a '70s bathmat, but I'm a fan of the massive animal faces they're painting on some of these things. Why the hell not?

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So far, the Kurds have been pretty much on their own in the fight against ISIS, and I don't think their improvised armor is "terrible" at all. I'm seeing a lot of clever and innovative solutions to some very serious problems, all executed in what must be some of the worse conditions imaginable.

And, I don't agree with the claims that these are a drain of resources. I think that constructing these vehicles gives tangible, visible examples of their struggle, and even if they weren't that great on the battlefield, their very existence helps give a morale boost to their people. We've seen this sort of pride in home-made arms before.

So, sure, these DIY armored vehicles look like they've lumbered out of a cartoon about WWI drawn by a kid who was raised on a diet of printed-out Etsy pages, but that doesn't matter. These vehicles have utility far beyond their awkward looks, and it's worth remembering that before dismissing them all in one big swipe of a hand that's thankfully nowhere near this s***.
 
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Terrorist made propaganda crap with zero protection, cover wheeled vehicles with metal absurd cheap painting on it and say that you have tanks... There is one thing these rats can produce; terrorism
 
Just like the story about the Kurdish female terrorists and how afraid ISIS's is for them :lol: "ISIS greatest nightmare"

Just stop the massive colossal US air strikes and see what happens.

Terrorist made propaganda crap with zero protection, cover wheeled vehicles with metal absurd cheap painting on it and say that you have tanks... There is one thing these rats can produce; terrorism

These "vehicles" are no way RPG proof or grenade proof.
 
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it's better than nothing. gotta question just how bullet resistant they are.
i would focus more resources and manpower on converting pick up trucks into technicals

shame we can't get these to the Kurds.

mobility and firepower to route IS.

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I have a better deal.

Turkish army trains Iraqi and Syrian Turkmens, you gave the equipment, some Maroon berets will be implemented into their units.
Then lean back and watch Turkmens going through ISIS like a hot knife in a butter.

Also there are some rumours that we will shortly begin to train Syrian Turkmens. (2000 of them).

Also i would prefer this, If you are going to supply M-134s. :)

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You kidding? No need to waste TOW, AT-4, RPG-7 missiles. These can be destroyed by a barrage of 40mm grenade launchers.
kalashnikov is enough :lol:

Cannot hold myself from laughing. :rofl:
They are funnier than Iran. They need to export them to each other under an Aryan military pact among(Kurdistan, Mullahstan, Afghanistan, Tajikstan) a union of 4 Aryan super powers :rofl:
Anyway, Don't get shocked in coming days if Aryans claimed it to be better than Abrams. :lol:
 
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Cannot hold myself from laughing. :rofl:
They are funnier than Iran. They need to export them to each other under an Aryan military pact among(Kurdistan, Mullahstan, Afghanistan, Tajikstan) a union of 4 Aryan super powers :rofl:
Anyway, Don't get shocked in coming days if Aryans claimed it to be better than Abrams. :lol:

Hey, I laughed at them too, hence why I though you guys should see it! The title, and admittedly I didn't change it, states a homemade "tank". My arse. Against, AQI, ISIS or whatever they are calling themselves these day, these vehicles might be OK. But against Turkey or any other professional military they are nothing more than drive-able coffins.
 
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