December 25, 2011: On December 15th, a British cargo ship (the Thor Liberty) stopped at a Finnish port to pick up some cargo. There, port inspectors noted that the Thor Liberty was carrying 69 Patriot MM-104 anti-aircraft missiles and 150 tons of explosives that were not properly stored. The ship was not carrying any documents indicating that the missiles were on board or where they were headed. It was noted that the ship was scheduled for a stop in Shanghai, China. The Finns were alarmed and ordered the missiles removed from the ship and arrested the Ukrainian captain and first mate of the Thor Liberty.

It took several days to piece together what happened. The missiles were a legitimate shipment, from the German military to their counterparts in South Korea. Both countries use the Patriot system and Germany has been supplying unneeded weapons and munitions to nations that are facing imminent threats (like Israel and South Korea). The captain and first mate of the Thor Liberty were still being questioned as of today, trying to get their paperwork straightened out. The Thor Liberty is expected to be on its way to the Pacific before the end of the year. Or maybe not.