The title refers to the anti aircraft weapons the U.S. supplied to Afghan fighters to shoot down Soviet air-crafts. 20 years later, some of these unused weapons would be used against American aircraft.
At the movie theater when the characters walk out of Tootsie (1982) they walk past theaters showing The Verdict (1982) and The Dark Crystal (1982) All 3 of these films were released on December 17, 1982.