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== History == |
== History == |
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Historically, the 2nd Support Forces were part of the [[Patriotic Union of Kurdistan|Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s]] (PUK) Peshmerga. However, in response to ongoing [[Peshmerga#Unification efforts|reform efforts]] within the Kurdistan Region’s military sector, the unit was integrated into the MoPA in June 2021.<ref name=”:0″ /> The unit’s integration followed the earlier incorporation of the [[Kurdistan Democratic Party|Kurdistan Democratic Party’s]] (KDP) [[1st Support Forces Command|1st Support Forces]] into the MoPA.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Palani |first=Kamaran |date=15 September 2022 |title=Peshmerga Reform: High Stakes for the Future of Iraqi Kurdistan |url=https://www.ispionline.it/en/publication/peshmerga-reform-high-stakes-future-iraqi-kurdistan-36155 |access-date=2025-09-15 |website=ISPI |language=en-US}}</ref> |
Historically, the 2nd Support Forces were part of the [[Patriotic Union of Kurdistan|Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s]] (PUK) Peshmerga. However, in response to ongoing [[Peshmerga#Unification efforts|reform efforts]] within the Kurdistan Region’s military sector, the unit was integrated into the MoPA in June 2021.<ref name=”:0″ /> The unit’s integration followed the earlier incorporation of the [[Kurdistan Democratic Party|Kurdistan Democratic Party’s]] (KDP) [[1st Support Forces Command|1st Support Forces]] into the MoPA.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Palani |first=Kamaran |date=15 September 2022 |title=Peshmerga Reform: High Stakes for the Future of Iraqi Kurdistan |url=https://www.ispionline.it/en/publication/peshmerga-reform-high-stakes-future-iraqi-kurdistan-36155 |access-date=2025-09-15 |website=ISPI |language=en-US}}</ref> |
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== Capabilities and equipment == |
== Capabilities and equipment == |
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Revision as of 16:37, 15 September 2025
Military unit
The 2nd Support Forces Command (Kurdish: هێزەکانی پشتیوانی دووەم, romanized: Hêzekanî Piştîwanî Dûwem) or 2nd Support Forces is a heavy artillery combat support unit of the Peshmerga, the military forces of the Kurdistan Region. The unit operates under the Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs (MoPA) and specializes in support functions such as artillery, air defense, mobility assets, and engineering for the Regional Guard Brigades (RGB).[1][2]
History
Historically, the 2nd Support Forces were part of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) Peshmerga. However, in response to ongoing reform efforts within the Kurdistan Region’s military sector, the unit was integrated into the MoPA in June 2021.[1] The unit’s integration followed the earlier incorporation of the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) 1st Support Forces into the MoPA. Accoring to Col. Todd Burroughs, Deputy Director of the US-led coalition’s Military Advisor Group North, the “unification of both 1st and 2nd Support Forces Commands under the MoPA is a significant step in the Peshmerga Reform process.”[2][3]
Capabilities and equipment
According to the Pentagon’s quarterly inspector general report to the U.S. Congress on August 1 2024, the MoPA’s artillery capabilities reside within the 1st and 2nd Support Forces Commands. “Both commands have demonstrated proficiency in delivering accurate indirect fires; however, they have not supported combined arms operations since 2017,” the report noted. The report also explains how “Artillery regiments (within the units) hold exercises twice a year with live ammunition, but only in battery and smaller-sized formations that are disconnected from maneuver formations.”[4]
The unit employs a wide range of artillery systems, including howitzers and multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS). Following the unit’s integration into the MoPA, the United States delivered ammunition and several lightweight 105 mm howitzers to the force.[2][4]
