Under Weapons Hold, which statement best describes firing rules?

• A. Do Not Open Fire or Cease Fire on Aircraft Currently Engaged
• B. Do Not Fire Except in Self-Defense or in Response to a Formal Fire Control Order
• C. Engage All Aircraft Regardless of Identification
• D. Fire Only After Positive Identification

Answer: (B)

Weapons Hold means you keep your weapons at rest and do not engage unless you have explicit authorization. The best description is that you do not fire except in self-defense or in response to a formal fire control order. This captures the essential restraint of the hold state: firing is only allowed when there is a clear, authorized justification. Self-defense covers immediate scenarios where you must respond to a threat, while a formal fire control order provides deliberate, pre-authorized engagement. The other statements misstate the hold rules: engaging all aircraft regardless of identification ignores the required authorization; firing only after positive identification still requires an official order or self-defense trigger; and attempting to cease fire on aircraft already engaged doesn’t specify the authorization condition that governs when firing is permitted.