The Pentagon Tuesday said it was trying to determine if a missile was launched Monday off the coast of Southern California and who might have launched it.Launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base are not that uncommon around here. Sometimes they announce them ahead of time, sometimes they don't. I've seen quite a few of them and depending on what time of day they go off they can be very spectacular. During night launches you can usually see the rockets stage at high altitude, and if the launch occurs shortly after sundown the contrails are very vivid against the darkening sky.
Spokesmen for the Navy, Air Force, Defense Department and North American Aerospace Defense Command said they were looking into a video posted on the CBS News website that appears to show a rocket or some other object shooting up into the sky and leaving a large contrail over the Pacific Ocean.
The video was shot by a CBS affiliate KCBS' helicopter, the station said Tuesday.
"Nobody within the Department of Defense that we've reached out to has been able to explain what this contrail is, where it came from," Pentagon spokesman Col. Dave Lapan said. "So far, we've come up empty with any explanation."
Lapan said officials are talking to the Air Force, Navy and NORAD as well as civilian authorities who control and monitor air space.
"Right now, all indications are that there was not (Department of Defense) involvement in this," Lapan said, adding that some object might have been launched by a private company.
The FAA told CBS News that they ran radar replays of a large area west of Los Angeles based on media reports of the location of a possible missile launch, but they did not reveal any fast moving unidentified targets in that area. The FAA also did not receive any reports of any unusual sightings from pilots in the area.
Missile tests are common off Southern California. Launches are conducted from vessels and platforms on an ocean range west of Point Mugu.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, issued a statement jointly with the U.S. Northern Command, or NORTHCOM, saying that the contrail was not the result of a foreign military launching a missile.
However, it's hard to image someone launching what has been described by experts as a large missile without somebody in the government knowing about it. That's a little spooky.
By the way, some are now suggesting that what we're seeing is a high level jet contrail that is giving the illusion of a missile launch. I suppose that's possible. With missile launches you can see the vehicle moving and often see a spray at the back of the missile from the exhaust flame.
UPDATE: It was a contrail - see the explanation here.
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Okay, as far as being a jet contrail, that's pure BS...seen a couple thousand in different locations around the world.
The video footage isn't the best so it's a bit difficult to tell what's happening.
It was suggested that this was a sub or ship launched ICBM, the nature of the contrail is about right, but the missile seems to be moving a little slow. However, there is no way a launch of this type would happen without immediate U.S.Gov't knowledge, unless...it was accidental, which is next to impossible. Let's not forget we'd be talking Nuclear warhead which would have to land, somewhere. Can anyone say "boom"?
To date, no "boom". This suggests a dummy warhead, or a dud, (again, a dud is about 99.9% unlikely). A dummy warhead strongly suggests this was a planned event and not accidental.
Being intimately familiar with missile launches, (specifically ICBM's), and the degree of safety involved I can assure you this missile would not by launched by our Government without their knowledge, that's just ridiculous.
This might possibly have been a launch for demonstration purpose. Requested on short notice by someone very high in our Government and classified. This would not be all that abnormal or unusual.
If this was an independent company or Foreign entity responsible, you have cause for serious concern.
Lastly, the one question no one seems to be asking is the very one they should be looking at. If you want to know who launched the missile, why haven't you asked, "where did it land"? That should provide a rather large clue.
I think Anthony Watts has the only answer that makes sense to me.
http://lwolt.wordpress.com/2010/11/09/who-is-shooting-at-whom/
Don't large aircraft have a con trail from EACH engine until they combine into one after a mile or two? This has a single one, and it even looks like an open fire at the point or origin, which an aircraft does not. - Can't see it on radar? Maybe the Chinese have developed a sub launched missile that radar cannot detect. The chinese did show up at US warship maneuvers last spring undetected, in their new sub. We didn't see them then, and we didn't detect them on radar now.
We need for somebody to run a contest for a short, catchy, descriptive name for these people to join the "troofers", the "birfers", the.....
Would "missers" work?
Speaking of "birfers", there was a fun video up a while back (since taken down because it embarrassed the terminally stupid) from the Jon Stewart rally of similar purpose that started with a sign saying "Obama = Keynsian?" thqat started a lot of seriously challenged folk (in tears, some of them) ranting about where Obama was born....
I wish I had thoufgh to try and save a copy of it.
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