Mystery Missile Launch Seen off Calif. Coast

CBS News ^ | 11/9/10 | CBS

[lonevoice]

I saw it, video taped it. When I realized what it could do, I understand why the gov’t doesn’t want to comment on it. That’s all that I should say.

Seeing as how the poster you quoted is employed as a news helicopter pilot in Southern Cal, I find it quite likely that he is not blowing smoke up our skirts. He may think "that's all I should say", but, after making a post like that, I think it's irresponsible for him not to elaborate. I hope he'll reconsider.

[_Jim]

Not at all, _Jim!

The PAVE PAWS coverage area is immense!

You're still missing it; this is coverage at-altitude (above 10 or 15,000 feet), dude. Meaning they could not/did not catch the launch.

You are aware the earth is round, and radio waves (uWaves, light) follow a straight line (OTH or shortwave RADAR reflecting off the ionosphere for BEYOND local line-of-sight horizon 'coverage')

[crusty old prospector]

I am thinking “The Hunt for Red October”.

[RinaseaofDs]

Condition 1SQ takes about 30 minutes to set, correct?

[AU72]

The only foreign powers with the capability and stones to launch a missle off our coast are Russia and China.

My money is on the CHICOMS. The message being, you are operating off our coast, we are off yours, (or Up Yours).

[Rutles4Ever]

For that there is Hanlon's razor: Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.

There's stupidity, and then there's political stupidity. I highly doubt the Pentagon would come out and say "we don't know what's going on." SecDef needs to friggin make a statement that doesn't have anything to do with DADT.

[WaterBoard]

Don’t waste your time. Some people are allergic to facts.

[GeronL]

I don’t think the WH has had any comment yet

[_Jim]

Times in UTC?

[RinaseaofDs]

I have no idea who has this capability at this point. Word was that the Iranians had sea launch missile capability. That’s different than sub-launched, I realize - much different.

[hoagy62]

Thank you for those excellent explanations/rebuttals.

One question: If it WAS an ‘act of war’, wouldn’t the ‘other side’ WANT us to know it was done as such? Why leave us scratching our heads?

Unless of course it was meant to go in an entirely DIFFERENT direction and this was a monumental FUBAR on THEIR end?

[SE Mom]

Me too- the post is what first interested me on this thread.

[Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!]

It was him http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3C_wLCZ18M

[RobRoy]

I see lots of contrails. None started from the ground though.

[Strategerist]

737 in the Philippines in 1990, and Thailand in 2001, both suffered center fuel tank explosions.

The TWA 800 nutters conveniently ignore them, of course. Interestingly they were both in hot climates, and TWA 800 was on a hot day.

[crosslink]

I have not not read intel on China having this capability to launch from under water. If they could the cost of this both politically and economically is huge. The Chinese do nothing by chance. Anyone near Patrick Air force base in Fl? If this was a launch they would be on base lock down with the highway closed. They did this when the CHicoms blew up the satellite a few years ago.

[cruise_missile]

Could be? North Korea seems to be struggling with internal problems. They are crazy enough though.

I was just thinking which countries seem to be the most agitated right now. The most to gain?

The Pentagon saying they don't know who did it is puzzling.
I think they have a pretty good idea.

Could even be another country that had an accident during an exercise. French could do something like this because it's funny.

[Danae]

Search String pls?

[buccaneer81]

and throw in the fact that CBS just happened to have a camera pointed in that direction,

That's not unusual. It was a camera on a KCBS LA traffic helicopter. No big deal to swing around and get it on camera, especially something so visible.

[coconut47]

It will probably disappear like the footage of the one that was filmed before TWA800 went down.