Suppressive fire

A Special Forces soldier provides suppressive fire during an exercise

Two crew chiefs provide suppressive fire with their .50 calibre machine guns

In the military, suppressive fire (also called "covering fire") is shooting that hinders an enemy force so they cannot fulfill their mission (what they were trying to do). This hindrance usually only works for as long as the machine gun or artillery gun is being shot.

Suppressive Fire Media

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  A rotating-barrel minigun being fired from a gunship in Vietnam during the war.

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  Two US Marines providing covering fire with a M4 carbine and a 40 mm M203 grenade launcher while a Marine from Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company spots targets in Ramadi, Iraq, 2006.

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  Map of artillery barrages during the Second Battle of Passchendaele (1917) showing the creeping fire to protect an advance.

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  U.S. Navy special warfare combatant-craft crewman (SWCC) of Special Boat Team 22 conducts training.