<p>A constant effort against the air defenses and major strategic installations results in a considerably weakened enemy, leaving the main forces to concentrate on other targets. Sophisticated strike aircraft (F-111, F-15E and F-117) can be engaged against more traditional interdiction targets such as railyards, bridges and stores areas to prevent the enemy troops at the front from gaining supplies, while less potent attack platforms such as the F-16 and A-10 can be brought to bear in large numbers in the battlefield arena. As air superiority is gained, and hopefully turned into complete air supremacy, even systems such as conventionally-armed B-52s and B-1Bs can be used to soften up the enemy's ground forces.
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<p>This softening-up process is intended to reduce the enemy's forces to a point where a land battle is virtually assured of success, and where friendly casualties will be kept to a minimum. Towards the end of the process, as happened over Iraq, the deep-strike aircraft may have run out of suitable interdiction targets and will be used to deplete the enemy in the battlefield itself, turning their sophisticated systems to going after tanks and artillery.
