The United States battleship retirement debate was a debate among the United States Navy, Marine Corps, Congress, and independent groups over the effectiveness of naval gunfire support (NGFS) provided by Iowa-class battleships, and whether or not an alternative should be implemented. The debate centered on the best way to provide fire support for amphibious assault and other troops near a shoreline.
The battleship USS New Jersey fires at positions near Beirut on 9 January 1984 during the Lebanese Civil War.
USS Wisconsin, shown moored in Norfolk, Virginia, is one of four Iowa-class battleships open to the public as museums, and was one of two maintained for potential reactivation until 2009.
5-inch (127 mm) gun on an Arleigh Burke-class DDG
F4U-5 Corsairs provide close air support to U.S. Marines during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir, December 1950.
Advanced Gun System
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The Advanced Gun System (AGS) is a naval artillery system developed and produced by BAE Systems Armaments & Services for the Zumwalt-class destroyer of the United States Navy. Designated the 155 mm/62 (6.1-inch) Mark 51 Advanced Gun System (AGS), it was designed to provide long-range naval gunfire support against shore-based targets. A total of six of the systems were installed, two on each of the three Zumwalt-class ships. The Navy has no plans for additional Zumwalt-class ships, and no plans to deploy AGS on any other ship. AGS can only use ammunition designed specifically for the system. Only one ammunition type was designed, and the Navy halted its procurement in November 2016 due to cost, so the AGS has no ammunition and cannot be used. The Navy planned to remove the AGS from the ships starting in 2023.
