The exploitation of naval fire support has attracted little public notice since four escort vessels (one Australian and three British) between them fired 156 rounds in anger against recognised military targets during the opening phase of Operation 'Iraqi Freedom' in 2003.rnThat is not to say naval gunnery has fallen into disuse; the Israel Navy (IN), for example, has in recent years been consistently engaged in shore bombardment in the eastern Mediterranean using the 76 mm Oto Melara guns mounted aboard its Hetz-class (Saar 4.5) fast attack craft.
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