Final protective fire (FPF) refers to a tactical plan for a
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
unit, set up in support of the
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
, to protect itself against overwhelming attack, and generally reserved for units at risk of being overrun. It involves the concentration of weapons fire directly in front of the unit to impede enemy movement. An FPF request has absolute priority over any other kind of request.
The size of the FPF depends on the number and type of weapons firing (e.g., FPF size for one battery of 155 mm
howitzer
A howitzer () is a long- ranged weapon, falling between a cannon (also known as an artillery gun in the United States), which fires shells at flat trajectories, and a mortar, which fires at high angles of ascent and descent. Howitzers, like ot ...
s is 300 m × 50 m). The supported maneuver commander designates the location of the FPF and it is adjusted into place by the forward observer. Normally, the FPF is within 200 to 400 meters of friendly positions (known as "danger close") and is integrated into the final protective line of the maneuver unit.
As the "final" in the name implies, it is the last resort in defensive plans, involving
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
integrated with small arms and
heavy machine gun
A heavy machine gun (HMG) is significantly larger than light machine gun, light, medium machine gun, medium or general-purpose machine guns. HMGs are typically too heavy to be man-portable (carried by one person) and require weapon mount, mountin ...
fire directed dangerously close to friendly defensive positions that are at risk of being overrun by the enemy.
Final protective fire is also commonly incorporated into a defensive plan that incorporates a final protective line, which is a line that, once the enemy has crossed, prompts the FPF plan to be enacted.
Reference
ATP 3-09.30
Military tactics
Military_terminology
Infantry
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