[NonValueAdded]

Hmmmm ... surely, Ellsworth [now there's a name for military commentary!], we don't need to do an unannounced demo to show one of our boomers can do a launch.

Instead, this would be just the right way for a major or emerging power to do THEIR demo: sneak onto our range and launch one towards our target. Says to US "you are pwned, sucka." L'il Kim's kid, raising the ante? Is Obama being handed a note from the ChiComs telling him that QE2 was not appreciated?

OR ... with this weird denial by the Navy - why wouldn't they say "we can neither confirm or deny" while checking it out and cleaning all the britches ... were they ORDERED to deny it with the idea that this would somehow make the weak sisters in the Senate want to ratify the new treaty???

[Braak]

Loverly, And now, folks are saying there were no NOTAMS for the area. Yeah, this just gets curiouser and curiouser. OldMissileer says it looks to him like an SLBN, but isn't the holy grail of any missile test the flight telemetry? And wouldn't a test by a foreign power off our coast expose such telemetry? Yep, we know the various test range equipment was cold when the launch occurred, but how fast was it powered up? Can it be turned on in a hurry?

In short, the fact there was civil traffic in the area means it wasn't a US entity that fired whatever the hell that was. It's the only explanation. No responsible US entity would have failed to file a NOTAM with the FAA before a shot, simply because aircraft in the area are just too risky...so, it was either a irresponsible US entity...which makes me wonder what idiot did this...or a foreign entity, which makes me rather concerned the Chinese did just send us a message, the Norks can't do this, neither can Iran. So who does that leave?