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.
FWIW, the list does not have info on the thing at this time.
If WE did not launch this then somebody just delivered a very obvious, very major threat to our country.
Not only did they prove they have missiles, they also apparently proved they can sneak up on our coast and launch them by surprise.
If we believe our own government, then WHO delivered this threat and WHY?
The timing is also interesting. Barry and his Royal entourage is on the other side of the globe. He took almost the entire White House staff with him, so it is safe to assume that our ability to assess and respond is at least somewhat degraded.
IF this was launched by someone else, then it is also reasonable to assume that we have received some kind of message to go along with it (or we will shortly). You can bet the ranch our government will not share that with us.
When does Barry get back?
I understand. My point was not only radar saw this, but was physically seen likely by everyone in the air and LAX ATC’s during this event, all the way out to AC 100+ miles westbound approach....Not to mention millions on the ground.
I agree! Its kinda like watching spongebob trying to teach squidward how to blow bubbles...
It looks like a space shuttle launch!
I know, we looked and nothing was scheduled...tx
Not just a former military man, but, according to his posting history (which is infrequent), he’s employed as a helicopter pilot for a news station in California. I’m really wondering if he was the pilot of the helicopter we see in the video. It doesn’t look likely that he’s going to tell us, though.
Forgive me for chiming in here—I’m just a simple southern girl who thinks a lot. Here’s my take. Lead up has been Obama is losing it. Press made a point to note Obama has the button with him. Hillary said America needs to get ready to have a woman president soon. Military says we don’t know where it came from, but we know our enemies didn’t do it.
Obama is being set up for the removal process. Nancy will be prez until 2012.
I like the, "Oh, it was rocket hobbyist"
These people are nuts, or just plain stoooopid to the bone...
If it were an ARMED missile, everybody with a halfway decent seismograph would know.
I’m still voting it was an SLBM test of US origin, and the Pentagon people are just following the “neither confirm nor deny” routine. The twin-rotor helicopter being there (especially just ONE of them) tends to support that, it’s a range instrumentation platform.
Crimson Tide was a movie.. Hollyweird gets that stuff wrong all the time, and they bend stuff just to make the story more exciting. It’s not exciting to say “and then the submarine went back to port to get the communications suite fixed, and they adjusted the SIOP till they had a replacement” rather than “ZOMG, they almost nuked the planet and WE ALL COULDA DIED”. If that had been real, the lack of concurrence between the officers would have made it a no-launch situation. Story ends there.
I’m guessing miscommunication somewhere between the Navy and the FAA. I trust the FAA less.
What happens to Vice President Joe Biden?
Not to mention Nancy Pe-Lousy and Harry Reid, as well. They’re all in line before the Hildabeast can sink her claws into the Oval Office.
bttt
Agreed. It has to be a test.
1. At the start of the clip, there appears to be a military type twin rotor copter oriented towards the missile track..surely he would have filed a report.
2. That's a very heavy civil aviation area..lots of big jets in nthe skies..wouldn't one or more commercial pilots have seen it, and filed a report with ATC?
That’s what I was thinking - except the sub is supposed to have confirmation that this notification was in place prior to launch. Now the helo there tells me that they were in contact to get visual confirmation of a clear range. So I’m leaning toward an incorrect notification.
The only thing is then the flailing statements from multiple sources don’t make sense - unless it’s just because it was such a routine thing that they didn’t know what to say when asked about it.
Could very well be a jet, maybe an experimental one.
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