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.
Hadn’t seen it yet an appreciate it being posted again.
Government schools... either for the reporter or Ellsworth.
Well, it came out of the sky
Landed just a little shy
From Moline...
Jody fell out of his tractor
Couldn’t believe what he seen....
Firing a missile that close to us could have caused us to launch back.
I’ve thought about that. But then, if it was some other country, why would the US government deny that it was a US missile? Wouldn’t they just pull the ‘nothing to be alarmed about, its our missile, move along’ line? I mean, if a rival nation was launching missiles 35 miles off the US coast, why would the military even leave the issue open to speculation thst it could be such?
That wouldn’t be good...
“That may have been a launch (show of force) from a Russian or Chinese submarine.”
Not unimaginable.
9/11/10
“Russia, China sign military cooperation protocol”
“Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and the head of China’s Central Military Commission, Guo Boxiong, on Tuesday signed an agreement on developing military cooperation between the two states.
“First of all, it concerns contracts to supply spare parts for air defense systems, aviation and navy equipment,” the minister’s spokeswoman said.
The document was signed during a meeting of the Russian-Chinese intergovernmental commission on military cooperation in Beijing.”
http://en.rian.ru/mlitary_news/20101109/161260856.html
They changed the locks, so don’t bother coming back.
You have to wonder if it was North Korea tweaking Obummer as they did when it was speculated that a North Korean Sub blew up the Oil Rig in the Gulf. You never know what the real truth is since the Feds are quiet on this missle launch.
Where are the football codes? Clinton lost em, I’m guessing Obama would give em, not just lose em, to his Muslim brothers.
ABL has been testing in southern Cal for a few weeks.Probably related to that.
Good point. Its just speculation of course.
Why is the US NAVY Denying this???
Catalina Island is their back yard....I’ve spent a lot of time in the area and they are present there a lot.
Dont we practice launches, real live tests, of one thing or another, from time to time?
Anyone have anything fall on their houses last night?
scary scenario.
Obama’s government would cave light a wet noodle.
do wet noodles cave?
Lets hope its just an anti-ballistic missile test
No one seems to know “who” launched it but there is no record of our military reacting or responding or scrambling defenses after it happened.
Sounds like another Fort Hood type Muslim nut going all jihadist on a Navy Ship.
If this is the case,we won’t find out anything until the incident can be PC whitewashed.
“Breaking news,it has already been posted 5 or 6 times so far this morning....”
Where? This is the first time I saw it. If this wasn’t in “Breaking News,” I would not have known about it.
It is a contrail. It is all a matter of perspective. It isn’t the first time that such a contrail has caused confusion.
http://contrailscience.com/a-problem-of-perspective-in-the-oc-new-years-eve-contrail/
Think about it? No ballistic missile is launched without a NOTAM (Notice to Airman) being issued. There is a whole issue of flight safety for all concerned. Also think about an unannounced launch of a ballistic missile. It isn’t going to go unnoticed by the likes of Russia with their space based and ground based ballistic missile warning systems. For the Russians it would be considered a rogue launch. Strict protocol is in force between the US and Russia to avoid such a misinterpretation.
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