One of the problems we have in Canada is that ideally we
would want an AD weapon system to be forgiving, which is
a good thing for Allied pilots and aircraft.
The Stinger system is a "fire and forget" missile, the Javelin
on the other hand is not. An operator can cause the Javelin
missile once fired to leave its track, go ballistic (straight up)
and self-detonate harmlessly away from the once-intended target.
This is of course an important safety feature because for both systems the IFF (identify friend or foe) is entirely left up to the "Mark 1 eyeball" of the operator. In this day and age of coalitions, we can face the Iraqi Air Force with their MIGs, and have the Syrians on our side with their MIGs.
The Stinger‘s other failing is that it is a heat-seeker, so it‘s
best to fire it at the back of an en aircraft. In a lot of cases
in the fashion that Canada deploys AD manpads systems that means
the aircraft will already have dropped it‘s payload of munitions
on or about the intended target.
Having said that the Americans have a different system of employing AD. They saturate an area, believe heavily in interdiction missions and in ambushes with the Stinger. They pick potential fly routes and cover them, when the en flys by everybody can open up. Canadians for largely economic and philosophical reasons allot areas of responsibility
and track targets passing off the option to fire from one detachment to another as the aircraft enters a det‘s area of responsibility and then exits.
The AD LAV veh variant is an exciting system, rapidly deployable,
robust, able to carry a number of missiles, easily transportable
by air, sea, flatbed, or rail. Currently in Canada we‘re using
the LSVW to transport AD manpads dets, which is not an optimal
solution. It can‘t go everywhere, and can‘t keep up with tanks
and APCs on the march.
