What is the maximum effective range for overhead fires?

The maximum effective range for overhead fires, particularly when discussing machine guns and their application in support of ground troops, is important for ensuring that fire can be delivered accurately and effectively without jeopardizing friendly forces. The range of 350-850 meters allows for effective suppression of enemy positions while keeping friendly troops safe.

This range covers the typical capability of many light and medium machine guns in their overhead fire capacity, allowing them to engage targets that are farther away while maintaining the ability to control the area of fire and minimize the risk of fratricide. It reflects the technical limitations of most machine guns and the operational considerations necessary to achieve successful engagements in combat scenarios.

The other ranges provided in the choices, while they might represent distances pertaining to other types of fire or different scenarios, do not accurately reflect the standard parameters for maximum effective ranges of machine guns in an overhead fire role as specified in military doctrine.