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.
Well, mid-range Sonor DOES effect sea life, its deafening loud to them. I seem to remember 2008 or something a case being settled or lost. Not sure, have to google that one.
Yes, with that zero in the WH...he probably was playing with our military and Asia...to show whatever...amatuers remain in the WH...
Just heard on FOX. Homeland Security cannot verify that this does not constitute a threat since NORAD doesn’t know what’s going on.
Thanks Captain Obvious.
ABC hourly radio news thinks it may be a “private enthusiast”...sure , it’s just Mythbusters testing another myth.
1 PM ET Fox Radio News: not military so it “leaves open the possibility it was a private enthusiast” Whiskey Tango Foxtrot??? private enthusiast?
LOL.
35 miles off the coast... something launched a missile with that large of a trail... and the US navy didn’t know a vehicle capable of launching such a weapon was there? and it got away without being followed / captured?
brilliant. democrats must be ‘in control’ of our defense
shot across the bow as far as i’m concerned. my gut says it was the chinese letting us know they don’t like the diluting of the dollar, lowering the amount we would pay them back.
Dude.... that’s why there are... contingencies aboard EVERY boomer. With the ability to shoot to kill.
Mast... oh no, this is prison for life in Leavenworth kinda stuff.
Balloon boy strikes again?
I am with you. Has to be a foreign Nation w/ a diesel boat. What you wanna bet the S.E. pacific is ringing with freaking pings?
FWIW:
from NPR
UPDATE, 12:33 p.m.: NPR’s Tom Gjelten did some digging and Lt. Desmond James, a public affairs officer with NORAD, sent him this statement:
Quote:
NORAD and USNORTHCOM are aware of the unexplained contrail reported off the coast of Southern California yesterday evening. At this time, we are unable to provide specific details, but we are working to determine the exact nature of this event. We can confirm that there is no indication of any threat to our nation and we will provide more information as it becomes available.
“Of course, Obama could be showing off like a tin-pot dictator.”
(..., Obama could be showing off like a pothead dictator.)
fixed
private enthusiast? That’s the best they can come up with currently? Wow, I’m at a loss for words.
Fox and ABC use the same strange phraseology??? That’s unsettling.
The U.S. Navy was also diverting the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan from training maneuvers to help. A plane was to drop off 35 pallets of supplies on the carrier that will be delivered to the cruise liner by helicopter, the Navy said in a statement
OK how did we go from the Coast Guard helping a cruise ship to sending an Aircraft Carrier with its compliment of ships including sub hunters? OVERKILL?
If so, a sinking is in order..
Firing a missile that close to us SHOULD have caused us to launch back.
There...I fixed it.
In other words, Laz, "I'd hit it."
Where are Scully and Mulder when we need em eh? (sigh... I have a bad feeling about this)
Oh my.
And this with our fearless leader halfway around the world for another week minimum.
What a coincidence...SARC
May God watch over us.
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