Previous research on the art of military engineering indicates that the development of this support branch focuses on technological and organizational advancements whereas theory development seems to be lacking. The purpose of this study is to explore the extent to which J.F.C Fuller´s theory might be able to address the scientific gap that exists today, by considering the possible impact of military engineering on the outcome of a historical land operation. The study uses a case study to examine the four offensives of the Soviet Union’s Operation Bagration, drawing on a theoretical framework derived from contemporary maneuver warfare theory by J.F.C Fuller. This theory contains the physical elements of war: mobility, offensive power and protection and Fuller´s physical principles of war with their tactical and strategical classes. These classes and elements are applied throughout this study to analyze the occurrence of military engineering and their effect on the operation. The findings of the study show that J.F.C Fuller´s theory can be applied to historical offensives to examine the effects military engineering has on the outcome. The effects can for example be explained through the contribution military engineering has on limiting the opponent’s mobility and enabling the envelopment of the opponent’s flanks through mobility.

I dagsläget saknas till stor del publikationer avseende minkastare och framför allt minvapnets indirekta stridseffekter, vilket denna rapport syftar till att undersöka. I rapporten skapas ett antal simplifierade taktiska scenarier där metoden för utläggning av minor varierar för att simulera vilken direkt stridseffekt mineringarna får. En hypotes angående vilken stridseffekt som skulle uppstå skapas innan simuleringarna, och används för att genomföra en spelteoretisk analys på de beslut våra egna förband och motståndaren kan ta. Utifrån den spelteoretiska analysen kan slutsatser dras kring de indirekta stridseffekter som minkastare kan tänkas bidra med i verkligheten, såsom att binda motståndarens minbrytningsresurser, höja den egna beredskapen till att minera snabbt, och att minska motståndarens reaktions- och omplaneringstid vid sammanstöt med minering.  Minkastare bidrar enligt rapporten inte med bättre direkta stridseffekter än manuellt utlagda mineringar då vi har god tid för förberedelser. Dock bedöms minkastare kunna bidra med en förmågehöjning inom Försvarsmakten då vi exempelvis har ont om förberedelsetid eller behöver en hög flexibilitet i var minering ska ske, och kan komplettera dagens metoder för minering väl. Arbetet belyser också de begränsningar som dagens tillgängliga simuleringsmjukvara har, och bidrog till Totalförsvarets forskningsinstituts vidareutveckling av mjukvaran för att bättre kunna simulera mineringars effekter i framtiden. / Today there is largely a lack of publications regarding mine dispensers and the indirect effects of mines, which this report aims to investigate. In the report several simplified tactical scenarios are created, where the method of mine laying varies to simulate which combat effectiveness the minefields create. A hypothesis about the combat effectiveness is made before the simulations and is used in a game theoretical analysis of our own and the opponent’s choices in the scenarios. From the game theoretical analysis the report is able to conclude which indirect effects a mine dispenser could have in practice, such as binding the opponent’s minefield breaching resources, improving our readiness to mine quickly, and to lower the opponent’s reaction- and replanning time when met with a minefield. According to the report, mine dispensers do not provide better combat effectiveness than manually placed mines when we have lots of time for preparations. Mine dispensers can however provide a raise in ability when we for example have little time for preparations or when we need to maintain a high flexibility in where to mine, and could well complement today’s methods for mine laying. The report also illuminates the limitations of the simulation software available today, and contributed to the Swedish Defence Research Agency’s further development of the software to better simulate the effects of minefields in the future.