Dummy missile used for Nato training in Spain in 2014 accidentally sent to Havana, which has not returned the device, Wall Street Journal reports
A dummy US Hellfire missile was mistakenly shipped from Europe to Cuba in 2014, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
The inert missile did not contain any explosives, the Journal reported, but there are concerns thatCuba could share the technology with potential US adversaries such as North Korea or Russia.
The Journal report was attributed to anonymous “people familiar with the matter”.
A US official with knowledge of the situation, who wasn’t authorised to speak publicly on the matter and demanded anonymity, confirmed its veracity to the Associated Press (AP).
The US official told the AP that Lockheed was authorised to export the dummy missile for a Nato training exercise. The official attributed the shipping error to Lockheed’s freight forwarders, and said the US was working with Lockheed to get the device back.
The official said the US did not want any defense technology to remain in a proscribed country, whether that country can use it or not. The official said there is greater concern that Cuba could give more technically advanced countries access to the dummy.(From the Guardian)
Link: http://atimes.com/2016/01/us-hellfire-missile-mistakenly-shipped-to-cuba-wsj/
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