Addressing MPs this afternoon the prime minister said the deployment had been rubberstamped following three conditions he had set out earlier in the year having now been met.
The first condition was that there had to be sufficient equipment to support the troops, which was confirmed today with the news the recently-arrived Merlin helicopters had been given the green light for operations, a month ahead of schedule.
The other two conditions were that there was an agreed approach across the coalition to increase troop numbers and an agreement to share the burden, while lastly that the allied actions must be matched by Afghan effort.
Mr Brown said the news that along with the US and the UK eight other countries had pledged extra troops plus assurances from Afghan president Hamid Karzai to boost significantly security forces meant the conditions had been met.
The extra British troops will be deployed in early December to 'thicken' the Helmand force, he announced, adding that by January they would take on a 'partnering role' with the Afghan forces.
The deployment will bring the total number of British service personnel serving in Afghanistan to over 10,000 troops.
The continuing presence of the troops in the county, Mr Brown claimed, would help 'deliver our military strategy of bringing stability' to the country.
Throughout his address the prime minister continually referenced the importance of a stable Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan to the security of Britain and how defeating al-Qaida and the Taliban in the border regions would help keep terrorism from the streets of Britain.
Justifying the military campaign, which has now entered into its eighth year, the prime minister added the work of the British troops was 'creating the space for an effective political strategy to work'.
The prime minister said a conference organised in London next year will see international partners discuss the handing over Afghan districts one by one to local authorities, beginning next year.
Commenting on the British troop numbers, defence secretary Bob Ainsworth said: 'The deployment of 500 extra troops to Afghanistan will help us drive forward the very real progress UK forces are making in building a safe and secure Afghanistan, protecting the UK from the threat of terrorism.
'Putting more British boots on the ground in central Helmand will allow us to thicken our presence and accelerate the training of Afghan forces.
'Our people continue to operate in challenging and dangerous conditions in Afghanistan making sacrifices to support the wider political process that is so critical to success.'
Mr Brown's announcement comes a day before US president Barack Obama makes his long-awaited decision to succumb to the demands of his top military commanders to send some 40,000 extra troops into Afghanistan.
The first condition was that there had to be sufficient equipment to support the troops, which was confirmed today with the news the recently-arrived Merlin helicopters had been given the green light for operations, a month ahead of schedule.
The other two conditions were that there was an agreed approach across the coalition to increase troop numbers and an agreement to share the burden, while lastly that the allied actions must be matched by Afghan effort.
Mr Brown said the news that along with the US and the UK eight other countries had pledged extra troops plus assurances from Afghan president Hamid Karzai to boost significantly security forces meant the conditions had been met.
The extra British troops will be deployed in early December to 'thicken' the Helmand force, he announced, adding that by January they would take on a 'partnering role' with the Afghan forces.
The deployment will bring the total number of British service personnel serving in Afghanistan to over 10,000 troops.
The continuing presence of the troops in the county, Mr Brown claimed, would help 'deliver our military strategy of bringing stability' to the country.
Throughout his address the prime minister continually referenced the importance of a stable Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan to the security of Britain and how defeating al-Qaida and the Taliban in the border regions would help keep terrorism from the streets of Britain.
Justifying the military campaign, which has now entered into its eighth year, the prime minister added the work of the British troops was 'creating the space for an effective political strategy to work'.
The prime minister said a conference organised in London next year will see international partners discuss the handing over Afghan districts one by one to local authorities, beginning next year.
Commenting on the British troop numbers, defence secretary Bob Ainsworth said: 'The deployment of 500 extra troops to Afghanistan will help us drive forward the very real progress UK forces are making in building a safe and secure Afghanistan, protecting the UK from the threat of terrorism.
'Putting more British boots on the ground in central Helmand will allow us to thicken our presence and accelerate the training of Afghan forces.
'Our people continue to operate in challenging and dangerous conditions in Afghanistan making sacrifices to support the wider political process that is so critical to success.'
Mr Brown's announcement comes a day before US president Barack Obama makes his long-awaited decision to succumb to the demands of his top military commanders to send some 40,000 extra troops into Afghanistan.
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