Paratroopers fire Javelin anti-tank missiles near Thetford

Troops from Colchester-based 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, fired four Javelin missiles, known for their accuracy and potency, at the Stanford Training Area (Stanta), near Thetford, on last Thursday 19th.

The firing was the culmination of a training course for the unit’s anti-tank platoon, which was the first to fire Javelin on operations in 2006 in Afghanistan. The missile is intended primarily to destroy tanks and light armoured vehicles, but also acts as an all-weather weapon against fixed defences, such as bunkers and buildings, and is operated and carried by a two-man crew.