The Persian Gulf War was not solely an Air Force or Army operation. The U.S. Navy contributed significantly, with two Iowa-class battleships playing a particularly symbolic role.

The USS Missouri (BB-63) and USS Wisconsin (BB-64), the only active battleships in the American fleet, were deployed to the Gulf specifically to conduct naval gunfire support. These massive ships, each displacing 58,000 tons and armed with nine 16-inch guns, represented the last gasp of battleship warfare. In a world where naval warfare was dominated by carrier-based aircraft operating at ranges of 100 miles or more, the battleships would fire their guns at targets 20 miles away.

The Missouri and Wisconsin conducted shore bombardment missions against Iraqi coastal positions and inland targets within gun range of the coast. The 16-inch guns fired shells weighing 2,700 pounds at supersonic velocity. The impact and explosive force were devastating. A single 16-inch shell could demolish a building or destroy a military position. The psychological impact of massive naval gunfire was significant—Iraqi soldiers reported terror at the sound of incoming shells from the sea.

However, the battleships were vulnerable. Iraqi anti-ship missiles threatened them. Iraqi mines threatened them. To protect the battleships, the Navy deployed extensive minesweeping operations and air defense systems. The tactical value of battleship gunfire, while real, had to be weighed against the risk to multi-billion-dollar assets.

The Missouri fired 759 rounds of 16-inch ammunition during the war. The Wisconsin fired 319 rounds. The cumulative destructive effect was substantial, though difficult to quantify precisely.

The naval air campaign was more consequential. The Navy's F/A-18 Super Hornets and other carrier-based aircraft contributed significantly to the overall air campaign. The Navy also flew electronic warfare sorties, airborne early warning missions, and air-to-air combat patrols. Navy pilots claimed 20 air-to-air kills during the war, though the exact count remains debated.

Naval mines posed a constant threat. Iraq had deployed contact mines, influence mines, and floating mines in the northern Persian Gulf. Clearing them required dedicated minesweeping operations. Multiple coalition vessels were damaged or sunk by mines, though the exact count remains uncertain. The mine threat forced the Navy to carefully manage ship movements and maintain expensive minesweeping operations.

The naval war was overshadowed by the dramatic air and ground campaigns, but it was integral to the overall military effort. The Navy provided carrier strike capability, naval gunfire support, transport of military personnel and equipment, and air defense for the coalition.

The Missouri's deployment to the Gulf was her last combat operation. The ship was decommissioned in 1992. The age of the battleship had ended, not with a bang but with a final deployment to the Persian Gulf, firing 16-inch guns at targets that could have been destroyed more efficiently by precision-guided munitions.

The Navy's contribution to Desert Storm was crucial but often overlooked in histories that focus on the dramatic air and ground campaigns.