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.
We have video of the launch. I want to know where it landed. Also please to refer to other freepers as dude, we're adults here.
Hate to break it to you, Jim, but I worked on over-the-horizon radar. And I can tell you: enough power on UHF, and you can "duct" over the horizon.
Commodore Schrepke: This is insane!
Captain Finlander: Now don't worry, Commodore. The Bedford'll never fire first. But if he fires one, I'll fire one.
Ensign Ralston: [launching the rocket] Fire One!
Leftists have been all over the tee vee and internet calling for violent revolution. What do you wanna bet that Holder takes this as seriously as he took the Black Panthers hanging out in front of a polling place with billy clubs. Radicals will do anything for power.
Hey, Quix, off topic, didja hear the scuttlebutt of a global currency, based on gold! Supposedly WB/IMF even UN types are seriously considering it.
That’ll send a few heads spinning.
NORAD is playing stupid. Yea, seriously. No I am not kidding. Thats why we are all wondering WTF is going on.
If not, I hope our SSNs are tracking the ones away from the pier.
This is beyond belief, eh? You hearing anything?
Who knew the Amish had ICBMs?
What private company? I’ve been getting more familiar with commercial space transportation lately, and do you realize that any company that did this would likely never be permitted to fly again? Moreover, I’m not aware of any spaceports in the middle of the ocean several miles north of Catalina island. There’s one in Mojave and one in White Sands.
Don’t bother trying to explain science to him. He refuses to accept facts.
Philippines and Thailand. Two countries with more than their share of Islamist issues. The Thai Air flight was supposed to be carrying the Prime Minister. The Philippine Air flight explosion was very similar to the Ramzi Yousef trial run for Bojinka that killed a Japanese businessman sitting near the center tank.
Both investigations were assisted by the NTSB. The same agency that manufactured the center fuel tank theory for TWA 800 (despite the ten rows that were covered in PETN).
Take Strategerist with a grain of salt. He’s a formerly banned disinformation agent who used to go by the handle JohnHK. He has a soft spot for Islamists and ChiComs.
It’s a form of political correctness to not mention the description of the perps. I think it is clear now that the military is saying there is a perp; they just don’t have the description to give to the public.
Figures. Someone on a ship probably said, ‘oh $hit!’
It’s like a “corkscrew” in the contrail. I’ve seen that before. Saw it badly after Challenger blew up, but I think sub-launched missiles will corkscrew like that while they’re locking onto their targets.
“Within five minutes of launch the Russian ICBM’s turned toward the Pacific Ocean.”
That story is a big Bravo Sierra!!!
It never happened. Period.
Furthermore, ICBMs are like bullets, you can’t steer them! Hence the name: Intercontinental BALLISTIC Missile.
One would think so, it’s a real head scratcher.
While everyone is looking at this terrifying incident, they are not looking at what Obama’s radicals are doing in the lame duck session of Congress.
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