1st Corps (Syria)

The 1st Corps is a corps of the Syrian Army that was first formed in the 1980s.

Not to be confused with First Corps (Syrian rebel group).

Richard Bennett wrote in 2001 that "three corps [were] formed in 1985 to give the Army more flexibility and to improve combat efficiency by decentralising the command structure, absorbing at least some of the lessons learned during the Israeli invasion of the Lebanon in 1982."[1] He said that the 1st Corps covered southern Syria, in particular the heavily fortified defense zone between Damascus and the Golan Heights and south to Daraa near the border with Jordan.

Bennett's estimate of the 2001 order of battle was:

  • 1st Corps, HQ Damascus
    • 5th Armoured Division, which included the 17th and 96th Armoured Brigades and the 112th Mechanised Brigade
    • 6th Armoured Division, with the 12th and 98th Armoured Brigades and the 11th Mechanised Brigades
    • 7th Mechanised Division, with the 58th and 68th Armoured Brigades and the 78th Mechanised Brigade
    • 8th Armoured Division, which included the 62nd and 65th Armoured Brigades and the 32nd Mechanised Brigade
    • 9th Armoured Division, with the 43rd and 91st Armoured Brigades and the 52nd Mechanised Brigade. The 52nd Armoured Brigade was reported in Daraa in May 2013.[2]

Bennett said the 1st Corps also had four independent special forces regiments, including two trained for helicopter-inserted commando operations against the Israeli signals intelligence and observation posts on Mount Hermon and elsewhere in the Golan Heights.

Cordesman et al said from 2002 to 2005, the command of the 1st Corps was replaced three times.[3]

Tom Cooper wrote that prior to the Syrian Civil War, the 1st Corps' main role was defence against an Israeli invasion over the Golan Heights or through Jordan.[4] It had two lines of defence stretching along the cease-fire lines from 1973, and controlled over four divisions (three mechanised and one armoured), a special forces division and two independent infantry brigades (seemingly the 61st and 90th).

2013 structure
  • 5th Mechanized Division[5]
    • 112th, 132nd and 15th Mechanized Brigades
    • 12th Armored Brigade
    • 175th Artillery Regiment
  • 7th Mechanized Division
    • 68th, 121st and 88 Mechanized Brigades
    • 78th Armored Brigade
    • (an unspecified) Artillery Regiment (nb. Cooper 2015 identified this regiment as the 85th)[6]
  • 9th Armored Division
    • 33rd, 34th and 43rd Armored Brigades
    • 52nd Mechanized Brigade
    • (an unspecified) Artillery Regiment (nb. Cooper 2015 identified this regiment as the 15th)[7]

In addition, the 1st Corps force structure still included the 61st and 90th Infantry Brigades (Independent). Within the last one/two years, Brigade 90 has been reported in the Quneitra area,[8] but its base was reportedly overrun by rebels in February 2014.[7]

Notes
  1. Richard M. Bennett, The Syrian Military: A Primer, Middle East Intelligence Bulletin, August/September 2001.
  2. "Largest Syrian Brigade Nears Breaking Point". Arutz Sheva.
  3. Cordesman et al, The Military Balance and Prospects for War, 165.
  4. Cooper 2015, p. 13.
  5. Joseph Holliday, Syrian Army Doctrinal Order of Battle, Institute for the Study of War
  6. Cooper 2015, p. 17.
  7. Cooper 2015, p. 18.
  8. http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=33.195083&lon=35.927525&z=10&m=b&search=quneitra

References
  • Cooper, Tom (2015). Syrian Conflagration: The Civil War 2011-2013. Middle East@War Volume 1. Helion & Co. ISBN 978-1-910294-10-9.
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