US Air Force assets that struck "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS) targets earlier this month demonstrate the United States' effectiveness and commitment to combating violent extremist organizations.

US forces hit ISIS leaders, camps and operatives in central Syria with dozens of air strikes December 8 in efforts to prevent the group from exploiting the Syrian regime's collapse.

Multiple US Air Force aircraft, including B-52 Stratofortresses, F-15E Strike Eagles and A-10 Thunderbolt IIs, participated in the operation, hitting more than 75 targets.

The strikes were "part of the ongoing mission to disrupt, degrade and defeat ISIS, in order to prevent the terrorist group from conducting external operations," US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

The US military and its allies and partners in the region "will continue to carry out operations to degrade ISIS operational capabilities even during this dynamic period in Syria," it added.

US defense officials announced on November 1 the deployment of multiple US Navy destroyers, B-52 Stratofortress bombers, F-15E Strike Eagles and refueling planes to the region, Air & Space Forces Magazine reported at the time.

In September, officials said the United States was sending an F-16 Fighting Falcon squadron, an F-15E Strike Eagle squadron and an A-10 Thunderbolt II squadron.

They added that the deployment of aircraft presently in the Middle East would be extended to increase the number of fighters and attack aircraft in the region.

Key assets

The recent strikes mark the first time in years that F-15s, A-10s and B-52s were used simultaneously.

The aircraft dropped about 140 munitions, a senior administration official told reporters.

The F-15E Strike Eagle is the fastest multirole fighter aircraft in the world, capable of reaching speeds above Mach 2.5 (3,000km/h).

With advanced avionics, superior maneuverability and acceleration, and the capacity to fly at low altitudes, day or night and in all weather, the F-15E is designed to conduct bombing missions without a fighter escort.

For its part, the B-52 is the US Air Force's stalwart subsonic heavy bomber for all-range, all-weather missions around the globe.

The B-52 can transport 32,000kg of ordnance, including nuclear and conventional bombs alike, mines, precision-guided missiles and joint direct attack munitions (JDAMs).

Meanwhile, the A-10 is a twin-engine, single-seat subsonic attack aircraft specifically designed for close air support of ground forces. It can conduct both ground and light maritime attack and is outfitted to carry a wide variety of both precision guided and unguided missiles.

Affectionately nicknamed the "Flying Tank," the A-10 Thunderbolt II has 540kg of titanium armor, which enables it to absorb damage while returning fire.