Source: Xinhua| 2019-02-20 01:53:37|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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VILNIUS, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Lithuanian Army has acquired U.S.-made Javelin anti-tank missiles worth 20 million U.S. dollars, the country's Defense Ministry announced on Tuesday.

The procurement of the medium-range anti-tank missile system includes 5 million U.S. dollars' worth of financial support from Washington, the ministry said.

Citing "security reasons", the ministry did not disclose the number of systems acquired by Lithuania.

"The Javelin anti-tank system procured from the U.S. is a particularly significant increase of the long-term combat capabilities of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and an enhancement of the effectiveness of deterrence," Defense Minister Raimundas Karoblis was quoted in a ministry statement.

The anti-tank missile system will be deployed by the country's Land Forces as a supplement to the existing Javelin system.

In 2002, Lithuania was the first country to purchase Javelin systems from the U.S.

Javelin is a portable anti-tank missile system capable of destroying targets at a range of up to 2.5 kilometers.

Since 2014, Lithuania, a small Baltic state with a population of less than 3 million and the eastern-flank North Atlantic Treaty Organization member country, has been stepping up its defense capabilities.