Operation Desert Storm Was the Battleship’s Swan Song

Many experts wrote off the battleship before 1991—but that year, they proved key to ensuring America’s decisive, rapid victory over Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi Army.

In the annals of modern warfare, few vessels embody the enduring might of American naval power like the Iowa-class battleships USS Missouri (BB-63) and USS Wisconsin (BB-64). During Operation Desert Storm—the 1991 Gulf War coalition effort to expel Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi forces from Kuwait—these titans of the sea played a critical role in the U.S. military’s mission. 

Reactivated from mothballs amid escalating tensions, the USS Missouri Desert Storm deployment and USS Wisconsin Gulf War contributions underscored the strategic value of battleships in an era dominated by missiles and air power. 

About the Iowa-Class Battleship

• Year Introduced: 1943
• Number Built: 4 (6 planned, 2 canceled)
• Length: 887 ft 3 in (270.4 m) overall
• Beam (Width): 108 ft 2 in (33 m)
• Displacement: 57,540 long tons (58,460 t) fully loaded
• Engines: Eight water-tube boilers (212,000 shp); four screws; four geared steam turbines
• Top Speed: 33 knots (38 mph, 61 km/h) 
• Range: 14,890 nmi (17,140 mi, 27,580 km)
• Armaments: Nine 16-inch guns; 12 5-inch guns; 12 BGM-109 Tomahawk missile launchers; 16 RGM-84 Harpoon missile launchers; 4 20mm Phalanx CIWS
• Crew: ~1,800 (by time of Operation Desert Storm)

The Iowa-class battleships, born from World War II’s crucible, were designed for fleet actions and shore bombardment. Commissioned in the 1940s, Missouri famously hosted Japan’s surrender in 1945, while Wisconsin supported Pacific campaigns. 

Decommissioned in the 1950s as nuclear submarines and carriers rose, yet never formally leaving the service, the battleships languished until the 1980s. Heightened Soviet threats and Middle East volatility prompted their reactivation under President Reagan’s “600-Ship Navy” initiative. 

Modernized with Harpoon missiles, Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS), and Tomahawk vertical launch systems, these relics bridged the gap between battleship-era firepower and the  precision-guided munitions of the modern age. By 1990, as Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait ignited Operation Desert Shield, both ships were primed for combat, symbolizing US resolve.

The Battleships’ Mission in the Gulf War

The USS Missouri’s arrival in the Persian Gulf on January 7, 1991, marked a turning point in the run-up to the conflict. 

As the first Iowa-class vessel on station, she was integrated into Battle Force Zulu, escorting tankers and preparing for offensive operations. On January 17, on the war’s opening night, Missouri etched her name in history as the first battleship to launch Tomahawk cruise missiles, unleashing 28 against Iraqi command-and-control sites in Baghdad and Kuwait. These strikes crippled Saddam Hussein’s integrated air defenses, paving the way for coalition air supremacy in the hours that followed.

Over the next month, Missouri’s nine 16-inch guns—capable of hurling 2,700-pound shells over 20 miles—delivered devastating naval gunfire support (NGFS). She targeted Iraqi coastal defenses, artillery batteries, and troop concentrations harassing Kuwaiti positions, firing over 750 rounds in support of Marine amphibious rehearsals. In addition to softening up Iraqi naval defenses, the battleships’ presence helped strengthen the Americans’ ruse that the coalition would land troops behind Iraqi lines—prompting Hussein to peel off Iraqi forces to meet that imagined threat, and softening them for when the real ground invasion came from the south and west.

One harrowing incident unfolded on February 25, when an Iraqi Silkworm anti-ship missile streaked toward the Missouri. Fortunately, her defenses and evasive maneuvers neutralized the threat, underscoring her vulnerability yet resilience in contested waters. 

Complementing Missouri’s efforts, the USS Wisconsin steamed into the fray on February 1, 1991, after a transatlantic voyage. Nicknamed “Big Whiskey,” she wasted no time, launching 24 Tomahawk missiles at high-value Iraqi targets, including Republican Guard headquarters and Scud missile launchers. Wisconsin’s NGFS missions were equally ferocious; her guns silenced Iraqi observation posts, command bunkers, and minefields along the Kuwaiti coast, directly aiding the XVIII Airborne Corps’ ground advance. On February 28, as ceasefire loomed, Wisconsin fired the final battleship salvo of the war—a 24-round barrage that demolished an Iraqi armored column—closing an era with thunderous finality.

The Battleships Proved Their Enduring Might Against Iraq

Together, throughout the course of the conflict, the two battleships expended over 1,100 16-inch shells, equivalent to the destructive force of multiple air wings. Similarly, their Tomahawk volleys—over 50 combined—degraded Iraq’s war machine without risking pilots.

The importance of USS Missouri and USS Wisconsin to Operation Desert Storm’s success cannot be overstated. Strategically, their NGFS filled a critical gap: aircraft carriers focused on deep strikes, leaving shallow-water targets vulnerable. Battleships offered sustained, all-weather fire support from standoff ranges, suppressing Iraqi forces and enabling the coalition’s “left hook” maneuver that routed Saddam’s army in 100 hours. 

Economically, each shell cost a fraction of a laser-guided bomb, delivering tonnage firepower at scale. Psychologically, the sight and sound of 16-inch salvos—visible from Kuwait City—bolstered allied morale and terrorized Iraqi troops, many of whom surrendered to the Americans en masse as soon as the conflict began.

The battleships’ deployment also validated hybrid warfare integration. By fusing WWII-era armor with 1990s tech, Missouri and Wisconsin proved battleships’ relevance against asymmetric threats like Silkworm missiles. They deterred Iraqi naval sorties, freeing carriers for offensive roles, and projected U.S. power across 7,000 miles from American shores—a testament to sealift and logistics prowess.

In retrospect, the USS Missouri Desert Storm legacy and USS Wisconsin Gulf War exploits marked the swan song of the big-gun navy. Decommissioned in 1992, they now serve as museums, reminders of naval evolution. 

Because of how recently these battleships proved their worth, some naval experts have suggested bringing the battleships back, updated with modern weapons, to punch holes through the various anti-access/area-denial (A2/AD) systems that American rivals have constructed as a means of stymying the US Navy’s power projection potential. 

Whether this is a viable solution to America’s A2/AD woes, particularly in the era of increasingly sophisticated anti-ship missiles, remains very much in question. Still, many experts wrote off the battleship before Desert Storm. Once the battleships were available in Desert Storm, they proved key for ensuring America’s decisive, rapid victory over Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi Army, then the fourth-largest in the world. Perhaps they could do the same in the Indo-Pacific.

About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert

Brandon J. Weichert is a senior national security editor at The National Interest. Recently, Weichert became the host of The National Security Hour on America Outloud News and iHeartRadio, where he discusses national security policy every Wednesday at 8pm Eastern. He is also a contributor at Popular Mechanics and has consulted regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including The Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, The Asia Times, and others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

Image: Wikimedia Commons.