FSCMs are designed to facilitate the rapid engagement of targets and provide safeguards for friendly forces. What are the two types of FSCMs?

• A. Prohibitive/ Authorized
• B. Mandatory/ Optional
• C. Permissive/ Restrictive
• D. Narrow/ Wide

Answer: (C)

FSCMs are about how fires are authorized to balance speed with safety. They fall into two kinds: permissive and restrictive.

Permissive FSCMs authorize engagement with minimal extra steps, which helps fires go forward quickly when friendly forces are not at elevated risk and the plan allows it. Restrictive FSCMs, on the other hand, place specific limits to protect friendly forces and noncombatants, often requiring additional coordination or avoiding certain areas and targets.

Other pairings don’t capture this essential distinction between allowing fires with few constraints versus imposing constraints to safeguard troops, which is why the permissive/restrictive classification is the standard.