LONDON, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- Britain's Defense Equipment and Support announced it is shipping 1,300 shoulder-mounted missiles to support troops in Afghanistan.
Quentin Davies, minister for defense equipment and support, says the Javelin guided missiles are an important enemy countermeasure and are increasingly critical for operations in Afghanistan.
Davies announced plans to fully equip troops operating in the volatile south of Afghanistan with the shoulder-mounted guided missiles, which are capable of being fired from enclosed spaces and have a range of more than 2 miles.
"The Javelin weapon system gives our troops the battle-winning edge in Afghanistan and the fire-and-forget missile is proving its worth on the front line," Davies said in a statement.
"Topping up the supplies of this very effective weapon will give our armed forces the firepower they need to ensure they have the upper hand against the Taliban."