Hellfire Missile Mistakenly Shipped to Cuba Is Now Back in US Custody
The two-year plight of the Hellfire Missile that was mistakenly sent to Cuba has finally ended and is now back in the U.S. According to Wall Street Journal, the missile has arrived in Orlando, Florida where it will be surrendered to its manufacturer's warehouse, the Lockheed Martin Corp. The U.S. government and a representative from Lockheed Martin Corp. lauded the cooperation of the Cuban government in expediting the retrieval of the missile and bringing it home to the U.S.
Mark Toner of the state department said in a written statement, "We can say without speaking to specifics that the inert training missile has been returned with the cooperation of the Cuban government. The re-establishment of diplomatic relations and the reopening of our embassy in Havana allow us to engage with the Cuban government on issues of mutual interest."
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] is conducting a separate investigation on the apparent fate of the Hellfire Missile. The organization has also based its investigation on queries that have been addressed by Lockheed Martin Corp.
The Hellfire Missile, before it was mistakenly shipped to Cuba, was part of a NATO drill in Spain. After its purpose was exhausted, it was supposed to be returned to the U.S. but never made it until it was reported to arrive in Havana, Cuba.
The Cuban government immediately took charge and kept the missile without any further details about it. Questions surrounding whether the missile was intentionally shipped to the country or was just a mistake from its handlers remained unanswered. An investigation on how it was mishandled was also launched.
In a statement given by the Cuban government, they acknowledged that they received the Hellfire AGM 114 warhead and said that they made the necessary communication to the U.S. government on the process of returning it. According to the Daily Caller, despite the missile having sensitive parts, it didn't have its warhead and an installed guidance system.
According to the news outlet, U.S. officials initially feared that the Cuban government might share the information on the missile's technology to North Korea and Russia. It was in 2014 when the Hellfire Missile was mistakenly shipped to Cuba instead of its original destination, which was in Germany. The Hellfire Missile will join other similar weapons manufactured by Lockheed Martin Corp. in a warehouse specially made for the ammunition.
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