When it comes to weapons and war missiles, it is imperative that each country keep the advancement of their technology secret, in order to take their enemies by surprise.

Unfortunately for the US, such secrecy will not be afforded to them anymore after a US Hellfire missile was wrongly shipped to Cuba.

The missile, which was sent to Europe for a training exercise, was then shipped to the South American nation, and according to BBC, the incident could have led to a serious loss of technology. It is said to not contain explosives, however, the US is still trying to get it away from Cuba. A US official who is said to have knowledge of the situation confirmed the report.

So what is the importance of the missile that landed on the wrong hemisphere?

The Guardian noted that Hellfire, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is said to be a 45kg (100lbs), laser-guided missile that can be deployed from an unmanned drone like the Predator, or an attack copter like the Apache.

The Wall Street Journal noted that the missile, which was shipped to Spain in 2014, was used in a Nato training exercise. While loading a flight at the Madrid Airport, officials noticed it was missing, later on finding out that it was taken through Spain and Germany, and eventually to Paris, where it was put en route to Cuba via the Charles de Gaulle Airport. 

It was loaded on to an Air France flight to Havana, Cuba. When the plane landed, a Cuban official noticed the label and impounded the missile.

What worries US officials is the fact that with the missile is in the hands of the South American nation, who could in turn, share the advanced technology with countries such as North Korea, China, or Russia. The Telegraph noted that these countries could study the missile and its technology, including its sensors and targeting, to improve their own, more high-tech versions, or to develop counter-measures.

What is especially dangerous is that the United States and Cuba have been hostile toward one another for the last half century. However, they have formally restored diplomatic relations as of July of last year, even re-opening embassies in each other's capitals in the process.

Currently, the US is investigating the missile's disappearance as officials are trying to figure out whether or not the incident was a deliberate act of espionage.

Do you think there is a possibility that the missile was sent by mistake to another country, or is there a conspiracy at play?