It's called "suppressive fire": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suppressive_fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suppressive_fire "The primary intended effect of s

It's called "suppressive fire": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suppressive_fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suppressive_fire "The primary intended effect of suppressive fire is psychological. Rather than directly trying to kill enemy soldiers, it makes the enemy soldiers feel unable to safely perform any actions other than seeking cover. Colloquially, this goal is expressed as "it makes them keep their heads down" or "it keeps them pinned down". However, depending on factors including the type of ammunition and the target's protection, suppressive fire may cause casualties and/or damage to enemy equipment."