,
By Stijn Mitzer and Joost Oliemans
Starting
in June 2014, Coalition airstrikes conducted on positions, vehicles and
high-ranking members of the Islamic State have taken a heavy toll on
the group. These airstrikes combined with increased bombardements
conducted by the Russian Air Force
(RuAF) ultimately proved to be decisive in determining the outcome of many of the offensives conducted by and against the Islamic State. The Battle for Kobanî, where Coalition airpower played a decisive role in the defence of the city, first made painfully clear the vulnerability of Islamic State forces to aircraft armed with precision-guided munitions.