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.
Wrong. And even if you were right, the FAA could have issued a statement within 15 minutes.
No disrespect- I just didn’t think the admiral had really gotten a grasp on the situation yet- he’d only seen the video once.
If this was something really serious wouldn’t the cables be told on background and asked to sort of standby?
If no one here steps up and admits to it.
I'm pretty sure the military knows who.
Obama probably thinks this helps him not to release who it is yet.
Such a big fleet near India too, with the Aegeas missile defense system [or more modern equivalent].
KCBS has it enroute to Shep/Fox news.
Fox will play the video as soon as they can.
Shep is having allot of fun with this incident.
Haven’t seen him ad libbing one liners left and right like this in years.
Good thing there wasn’t a TWA 747 going overhead at the time.
No. AFAIK, the kids are in DC.
Me neither. You can count on just a few hands and feet the number of sub platforms that can launch these large missiles. I used to know every single ship, including USSR SSG and SSBs.
I don't know how or if it could happen, but if a Trident lifted off with an active physics package (w88s MIRVd), it is a HUGE national security event with global war consequences.
You just don't light off exoshperic missiles nowadays without some commo between nuclear powers.
I have no idea what happened. If I had to place bets, they would go in this order:
1) Top secret test in known test area.
2) Terrorist attempt at container launch of SCUD from cargo ship (they are trying to do it folks, sorry).
3) Paki ISI sending not-so subtle message to quit drone attacks or not to cozy with India, their mortal enemy.
4) Accidental launch of US Trident (I can't fathom that)
5) New Chinese SSB/SSBN launching a SLBM (very unlikely)
6) NORKS launching a container SCUD (also very unlikely)
7) Russia Delta IV from Pacific fleet launching SLBM (very very very unlikely) and (we would have heard the vodka bottles dropping on the missle compartment decks before they got off the continental shelf).
Anyways, I'm out of ideas...definately an SRBM, IRBM, ICBM, or Gasp...SLBM!
Yes, I never served with him, but we were on active duty at the same time.
People at the Pentagon are just babbling now...
Saying they have *zero* explanation...wow...
I hope they’re lying..
Heck, he knows better. Remember our “betters” believe the American Citizen to be a gullible fool. The first of the trial balloons to see what BS they can use to explain it has just occurred. We will never be told the truth.
Shep lives for high speed police pursuits, "Balloon Boys" and bears.
The United States ... will provide pre-launch notification of commercial and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) space launches as well as the majority of intercontinental ballistic and submarine-launched ballistic missile launches.
Security experts note that Obama left himself some wiggle room by using the phrase “majority of intercontinental and submarine-launched ballistic missile launches,” many of which depart from Vandenberg Air Force Base on the California coast.
Washington’s hope is that Russia will resume doing the same.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2010/05/obama-missile-launches-secrecy.html
Obama decides to unilaterally announce secret U.S. missile tests, satellite launches
Then you've apparently missed all of his segments about Sarah Palin.....he's smarmier than Bill Maher; a real clown. Mommy Smith probably told him he was cute.
“... launched from the CA coastline.”
If the waters off that shore are shallow enough, it will calm everyone to know it couldn’t have been a sub. On the other hand, if a sub could have been close to shore ....
And the area has a similar “permanent” zone of exclusion for ops and test fires, like the area off Vandenberg. The boat, assuming the trail indicates a full SLBM launch would come down from Bremerton. Won’t hear much more on this, unless we are all completely wrong and it’s the chinee. Aggressive little bastards that they are, possible but not probable.
Hmmmm
I still think Gold is not going to be wise . . . don’t know why.
I do know the Bible says . . . a bag of gold for a loaf of bread.
Cover-up story. No one will be fired.
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