Approved for public release, distribution is unlimited / There are in excess of 500,000 Manned Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS) in worldwide inventories including several thousand outside of government control. MANPADS are surface-to-air missile systems enabling the operator to launch missiles at aircraft from the ground. The most common MANPADS are the Russian SA-7 and U.S. Stinger, which feature infrared guidance systems. The concern that MANPADS can easily be acquired by non-state actors' intent on downing civilian and military aircraft has led international agencies, the U.S., and Russia to implement measures to reduce the risk of a MANPADS attack. International agencies such as the Wassenaar Arrangement work to stop illegal MANPADS proliferation. The U.S. MANPADS Defense Act and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security have implemented measures to counter the MANPADS threat. Russia has revised its export controls and forged a counter-proliferation agreement with most CIS countries. However, the multilateral initiatives to better control MANPADS stocks and transfers are far from comprehensive. A new approach to mitigating the MANPADS threat adopts elements from the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty and the Landmine Monitor. The conclusion of this thesis is that if MANPADS counter-proliferation efforts remain status quo an attack on a commercial aircraft in the western world is imminent.

The traditional landings with large warships near the coastline have been replaced by means of vessels moving beyond the horizon from the coast where the landing will take place. The old landing crafts have been replaced by transport helicopters and close air support, a threat that the amphibious battalion lacks resources to meet. The Swedish Armed Forces faces a possible acquisition of MANPADS and therefore the main purpose with this study was to examine the systems: FIM-92 Stinger RMP, Mistral and RBS70 NG, in order to assess which one of them who had the greatest potential to be effective when used by the amphibious battalion in a coastal defense operation. The study was conducted as a multiple criteria decision analysis, based on the concept of military utility. The result indicated that the RBS70 NG was the system that best met the requirements and demonstrated the greatest potential to be military efficient, although Mistral with minor exceptions fulfilled the requirements. As the study was delimited to a theoretical study based on three specific scenarios, further studies are recommended with simulations, as well as field trials before the result can be given a higher validity. The result, however, already helps us to understand how MANPADS contributes with military utility in coastal defense operations. / De traditionella landstigningarna med stora fartyg uppträdandes kustnära har ersatts med metoder innebärandes att fartygen rör sig bortom horisonten från den kust där landsättningen/landstigningen ska ske. De gamla landstigningsbåtarna har i hög grad ersatts med helikoptrar som understödda av attackhelikoptrar och flygplan utgör den nya dimensionerande hotbilden. En hotbild som amfibiebataljonen saknar resurser för att möta. Då Försvarsmakten står inför en eventuell anskaffning av ett buret luftvärnssystem till amfibiebataljonen har denna undersöknings främsta syfte varit att bedöma vilket av systemen FIM-92 Stinger RMP, Mistral eller RBS70 NG som uppvisat störst potential att vara militärt effektivt när de nyttjas av en amfibiebataljon i kustförsvarsoperationer. Undersökningen genomfördes som en komparativ analys med multimålmetod och tre olika typfall som grund. Jämförelsen tog sin utgångspunkt kring teoribildningen om militär nytta och då mer specifikt militär effektivitet. Resultatet indikerade att RBS70 NG var det system som bäst mötte amfibiebataljonens krav och därmed uppvisade störst potential att vara militärt effektivt, även om Mistral med enstaka undantag också uppfyllde kraven till synes utan begränsningar. Då studien avgränsats till en teoretisk jämförelse i tre specifika typfall, rekommenderas fortsatta studier med såväl simuleringar som praktiska prov innan resultatet kan ges en högre validitet. Resultatet bidrar däremot redan nu till en förståelse för vad som ökar den militära effektivitetenvid genomförande av kustförsvarsoperationer.