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British armed forces leaders have urged the public not to judge the Afghanistan campaign by casualties alone after the 100th military death of this year. Head of the army Gen Sir David Richards said such a judgement "undervalues the tremendous efforts" of the UK and Nato allies and the progress being made. He added the loss of a comrade "hardens our determination to succeed". The death in Helmand was announced hours before Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth arrived to visit troops. He will also meet commanders and Afghan officials during a trip the Ministry of Defence said was due to last several days. US defence secretary Robert Gates has also flown to Afghanistan on a separate visit. Mr Gates, who is due to hold talks with Afghan President Hamid Karzai, said he would also tell US soldiers the US was "in this thing to win". The British soldier, of 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, was shot in the Nad-e Ali area of Helmand on Monday. The soldier has not yet been named but next of kin have been informed. The latest UK military death was "a huge loss to his family and friends", said Gen Richards. But he added: "For those of us in the Army, whilst we grieve for a fallen comrade, his loss hardens our determination to succeed. "The temptation to judge this essential campaign by casualties alone undervalues the tremendous efforts of our forces and our allies, and the progress they are making." Chief of the defence staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup, admitted 2009 had been a "particularly challenging year" but said the sacrifices "have brought security to more of the population of Helmand, and have helped the Afghan National Army to develop its own capabilities to protect the people". The head of the armed forces warned there was "still much to do, and there will be difficult days ahead". But ACM Stirrup said: "Our armed forces are making a real difference, and are building the basis for enduring success in Afghanistan." BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera says there is a recognition that increases in British and American troop numbers are unlikely to reduce the casualty rate in the short term. Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced last month that 500 more UK troops would be going to Afghanistan, taking the total UK deployment to more than 10,000, while the US plans to boost its deployment by 30,000. The total number of UK troops killed since the start of operations in Afghanistan in October 2001 has now reached 237. The vast majority of British casualties have come from improvised explosive devices, the Taliban's weapon of choice. Following the announcement of the latest death, Mr Brown said: "My thoughts, and the entire nation's, are with the families and friends of every one of those brave men who have died this year; indeed, with every one of our service personnel who have lost their lives serving our country in Afghanistan since 2001." Conservative leader David Cameron, who has just returned from visiting troops in Helmand, said the death marked a "sad milestone" and was "a stark reminder of the daily threat our troops face". British troops arrived in Afghanistan in 2001 as part of a US-led invasion following the 9/11 attacks. The majority of foreign troops in Afghanistan are under the command of the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf). More than 40 countries are part of Isaf, which has a combined strength of about 71,000 troops. The US is by far the largest contributor, followed by the UK. Other major contributors include Germany, France and Canada. The US has lost 931 military personnel, including 302 this year, while the death toll for other countries is 367. In a speech in London later, Conservative shadow defence secretary Liam Fox is expected to criticise some Nato members for failing to contribute to the campaign. He is likely to call on countries that are not committing troops to the campaign to contribute more money to fund the operations.