covering fire

1. fire used to protect troops when they are within range of enemy small arms.

2. in amphibious usage, fire delivered prior to the landing in order to cover preparatory operations such as underwater demolition or minesweeping.

See the Introduction, Abbreviations and Pronunciation for further details.

(DOD, NATO) 1. Fire used to protect troops when they are within range of enemy small arms. 2. In amphibious usage, fire delivered prior to the landing to cover preparatory operations such as underwater demolition or minesweeping. See also fire.