Posted on 11/09/2010 8:05:31 AM PST by Gennie
(CBS) A mysterious missile launch off the southern California coast was caught by CBS affiliate KCBS's cameras Monday night, and officials are staying tight-lipped over the nature of the projectile.
CBS station KFMB put in calls to the Navy and Air Force Monday night about the striking launch off the coast of Los Angeles, which was easily visible from the coast, but the military has said nothing about the launch.
KFMB showed video of the apparent missile to former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Robert Ellsworth, who is also a former Deputy Secretary of Defense, to get his thoughts.
Scroll down for KFMB video showing the launch.
Video here
"It's spectacular… It takes people's breath away," said Ellsworth, calling the projectile, "a big missile".
Magnificent images were captured by the KCBS news helicopter in L.A. around sunset Monday evening. The location of the missile was about 35 miles out to sea, west of L.A. and north of Catalina Island.
A Navy spokesperson told KFMB it wasn't their missile. He said there was no Navy activity reported in the area Monday evening.
On Friday night, Vandenberg Air Force Base, in California, launched a Delta II rocket, carrying an Italian satellite into orbit, but a sergeant at the base told KFMB there had been no launches since then.
Ellsworth urged American to wait for definitive answers to come from the military.
When asked, however, what he thought it might be, the former ambassador said it could possibly have been a missile test timed as a demonstration of American military might as President Obama tours Asia.
"It could be a test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile from a submarine … to demonstrate, mainly to Asia, that we can do that," speculated Ellsworth.
Ellsworth said such tests were carried out in the Atlantic to demonstrate America's power to the Soviets, when there was a Soviet Union, but he doesn't believe an ICBM has previously been tested by the U.S. over the Pacific.
Officially, at least, the projectile remains a mystery missile.
The Navy usually does sea trials way out to sea...
They do those every month.....
As for a CSLBM test.... surface ships are easy to track. If it was from another Nation state, then it would be all over the news, 35 miles is NOT far for any aircraft to fly, shoot KTLA could have a bird up and over the “launch site” in under 20 minutes if it wanted to.....
There is more to this for sure.
To scare us. It’s part of their plan. If we are scared out of our minds we will seek their protection and then we are toast.
ya, I read that article just now, I had heard of this before but it was unconfirmed.
That there is some scary stuff, and I have been telling folks here that this would happen and that countries that have been at odds with us, but seem to be our friends lately (china), is dangerous and we supply them with cash through walmart and a whole lot of other companies owned by them that we frequent.
Cruise missiles aren’t all that big....
This was not “way out to sea.”
This was just off the coast....
Yes, we’ve been lobbing from nukes - no one has a doubt about our ability to do that... That kind of ‘show’ stuff is usually reserved for loser countries like North Korea or Iran. So, I’m with you - sounds like a pretty lame excuse.
Really dumb question alert!
Can you tell..was this in International waters?
Baffling!
In other news ...
Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) — U.S. President Barack Obama is officially shortening his visit to Indonesia because of fears that volcanic ash spewing from Mount Merapi could have grounded Air Force One, according to administration officials.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs earlier told reporters aboard Air Force One that officials were closely monitoring the ash cloud and that forecasts show air traffic might again be disrupted. Experts say volcanic ash can wreak havoc on jet engines.
Administration officials said late Tuesday the president’s already-quick visit will be shortened by two hours, forcing cancellation of a wreath-laying ceremony on Wednesday and causing other tweaks to the schedule.
Obama will also start a speech at the University of Indonesia a little earlier than expected on Wednesday in order to get to his next stop, South Korea and the G-20 summit, sooner.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/11/09/indonesia.obama.visit/index.html?hpt=T1
Reportedly aboard the Gipper running a rescue/salvage op on that disabled cruise ship off Ensenada.
Hmmm...Interesting.
I am not buying it either. The whole innocent act is all WRONG WrongWrongWrongWrongWrongWrongWrongWrongWrongWrong
A rogue launch by us would have the pentagon running about with panties in a knot, that’s a no Sh*t scenario where one of our boats is out of our control. An ordered launch might amount to black Ops.... but if that’s the case, they would have a cover story. There is no cover story other than “we have no clue?” WTF? Yea, RIIIIIIGHT.
the Pentagon knows whats up, they just are not at liberty to say what that is. No matter what, it does not give me a warm fuzzy feeling.
I know. Either some PO3 AND CO/XO bubblehead is getting his ass chewed and sent to mast or mutiny. It is weird.
Easy to explain! The Iman Obummer was not wakened from his deep sleep so it was brushed back under the rug that Korea launched a test missle off our coast line.
China is said to have given North Korea a Golf-Class diesel. Also, in the very early days, some USSR diesel boats were rigged up with external launch tubes that would elevate, at least partially, for launching.
If the DOD doesn't really know the source then this is a pretty big story.
new policy: Don’t Know, Don’t Ask.
I gotta believe that a CRUDES ship is banging away with a bone in her teeth looking for a sub if the Pentagon is right, that is wasn’t ours. Or, if it was a surface container launch, an ASCM launch from our units would have followed shortly.
Probably a distress flare from a fishing boat. Move on...
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