Road to Damascus: The Russian Air Campaign in Syria, 2015 to 2018

The authors assess the strengths, weaknesses, and adaptations of Russian airpower in the Syrian civil war by examining operational histories, airstrikes, and disposition of Russian aircraft from September 2015 to March 2018 to determine the relative effectiveness of Russian airpower against the Syrian opposition and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). They also compare the application of airpower in Syria by Russia and the U.S. Coalition.