Logo: to the web site of the Swedish Defence University

Since 2010 IS has transformed itself from a terroristgroup to an insurgency organisation that held territory from Mosul in Iraq to Aleppo in Syria. Through this conquest of territory it has proven it’s capabilities in launching conventional style offenses but also it use of irregular tactics and the use of different terrorist acts using suicide bombers and vehicle-borne improvised explosions.

This study examines IS warfare between 2010 and 2015 and examens if David Galulas theory ’Insurgency doctrin’ and Frank Hoffmans theory ’Hybrid warfare’ can describe IS warfare through this period.

This analysis shows that IS partially can be described through the insurgency doctrin theory as an insurgency following the steps that it descibes. It also shows that while IS follows the steps it also continued to use blind terrorism and selektive terrorism through the whole campaigns.

Further more the analysis also shows that IS can be described through Frank Hoffmans ’Hybrid warfare’ theory. IS used conventional means such as military weapons and equipment along with artillery, tanks, anti-tank weapons in both conventional and irregular ways. It’s extensive use of IED, VBIED IS used technology in an ortodox way by rebuildning vehicles and drones into mobile IED’s but also vehicles into light fighting vehicles by mounting heavy machineguns on pickups. This study also concludes that IS can not be described as an hybrid actor becuse it strives at building a regulare army.

The conclusion of this study is that IS warfare can be described as an insurgent uprising with hybrid elements.

Since 2010 IS has transformed itself from a terroristgroup to an insurgency organisation that held territory from Mosul in Iraq to Aleppo in Syria. Through this conquest of territory it has proven it’s capabilities in launching conventional style offenses but also it use of irregular tactics and the use of different terrorist acts using suicide bombers and vehicle-borne improvised explosions. This study examines IS warfare between 2010 and 2015 and examens if David Galulas theory ’Insurgency doctrin’ and Frank Hoffmans theory ’Hybrid warfare’ can describe IS warfare through this period. This analysis shows that IS partially can be described through the insurgency doctrin theory as an insurgency following the steps that it descibes. It also shows that while IS follows the steps it also continued to use blind terrorism and selektive terrorism through the whole campaigns. Further more the analysis also shows that IS can be described through Frank Hoffmans ’Hybrid warfare’ theory. IS used conventional means such as military weapons and equipment along with artillery, tanks, anti-tank weapons in both conventional and irregular ways. It’s extensive use of IED, VBIED IS used technology in an ortodox way by rebuildning vehicles and drones into mobile IED’s but also vehicles into light fighting vehicles by mounting heavy machineguns on pickups. This study also concludes that IS can not be described as an hybrid actor becuse it strives at building a regulare army The conclusion of this study is that IS warfare can be described as an insurgent uprising with hybrid elements