You may well be right that it the WP flare was just so much flotsam.
As to the idea of using a WP on a covert op, you ever see one of these go off?? I don't think of a 'WP' and 'covert' in the same thought sequence.
sub6
Where would the flare have floated from? Ft. Eustis is downstream from Surry. It could have been an exercise, but I would think that the responsible branch would have copped to it by now.
"you ever see one of these go off??"
Nope (but I have seen my kids explode hardboiled eggs in the microwave ;)...just trying to make sense of 'why' a la Occam's razor. Guess they would do nicely for the 4th of July?