Wouldn't it be better to destroy all of a target rather than just 10%?
Bombing for effect rather than bombing just because you want to?
You want to take out a weapon system or person the most efficient way possible because that means less resources needed by you to achieve significant results. For example, why expend dozens of sorties and hundreds of weapons to take down a division of tanks when you can simply drop a couple of bridges and isolate then from the battlefield? Or, drop one bomb in one precise location and you take out a power station rather than totally destroy it by dropping hundreds of weapons.
Safer to fly fewer sorties, achieve greater battlefield/tactical and strategic effect, and frankly, less costly.
Identifying Centers of Gravity or “decisive points” are key to decimating an enemies ability to wage war.
These nodes are hard to identify, even more so during insurgency operations, but nonetheless, are the best way to win. From strategic air campaigns to silent special ops troops with a Kbar, it all depends on what you identify and target, not level of destruction.