However, suppressive fire delivered by artillery and other indirect fire means can be used to suppress targets of any type, most notably as counter-battery fire against indirect fire units. Suppressive fire is typically used as covering fire against the enemy in the close combat zone. For example, a US Marines article notes that 'communication and suppressive fire are what enables movement on the battlefield, giving Marines the upper hand.' Suppressive fire may be used to enable a helicopter or boat to land or extract soldiers from a battle zone (the latter is called a 'hot extraction'). This enables forces to advance to new positions or to close with the enemy. For example, a suppressed target will be unable to engage vulnerable forces that are moving without cover. Suppressive fire is a tactic to reduce casualties to friendly forces and enable them to conduct their immediate mission. An important feature of suppressive fire is that it is only effective while it lasts and that it has sufficient intensity. The purpose of suppression is to stop or prevent the enemy from observing, shooting, moving or carrying out other military tasks that interfere (or could interfere) with the activities of friendly forces. In contrast, artillery can suppress an area for an extended period. Furthermore, sustained suppression over more than a few minutes may be difficult to achieve with small arms fire for logistic reasons, air delivered suppression is similarly affected by payload limits. For example, a rifle or machine gun bullet may only have a suppressive effect within about one metre of its trajectory, whereas a single artillery shell may suppress a few thousand square metres around its burst. Suppressive fire capabilities vary widely because the suppressive effect area varies widely. Suppression can be delivered by any weapon or group of weapons capable of delivering the required intensity of fire for the required period of suppression. Using smoke to 'blind' enemy observation is a form of non-lethal suppression and at night illuminating flares may be used to suppress enemy activities by denying them the cover of darkness. However, suppressive fire may be used against indirect firers, enemy air defenses or other military activities such as construction work or logistic activities, or to deny an area to the enemy for a short period of time (it is unsuitable for prolonged area denial due to ammunition supply constraints). Suppressive fire is often used as covering fire, defined by NATO as 'Fire used to protect troops when they are within range of enemy small arms.' This is sometimes called 'winning the firefight' in an infantry-only action. Willingness to expose themselves varies depending on the morale, motivation and leadership of the target troops. Suppressive fire usually achieves its effect by threatening casualties to individuals who expose themselves to it. A rotating-barrel minigun being fired from a gunship in Vietnam during the war.

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