Naval gunfire support

USS Iowa fires a full broadside of nine 16 in/50 and six 5 in/38 guns during a target exercise near Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, 1 July 1984.

Naval gunfire support (NGFS), also known as naval surface fire support (NSFS),[1] or shore bombardment, is the use of naval artillery to provide fire support for amphibious assault and other troops operating within their range. NGFS is one of several disciplines encompassed by the term naval fires. Modern naval gunfire support is one of the three main components of amphibious warfare assault operations support, along with aircraft and ship-launched land-attack missiles. Shipborne guns have been used against shore defences since medieval naval warfare.

  1. ^ Martin, B., Clayton, B., Welch, J., Bae, S. J., Kim, Y., Khan, I., & Edenfield, N. (2020, April 16). Naval surface fire support. RAND Corporation. Retrieved January 6, 2023, from https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR4351.html