Author Topic: Missile Launch off California coast - Pentagon has no clue  (Read 2213 times)

Offline Ex-jazz

  • Nickel Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 482
Re: Missile Launch off California coast - Pentagon has no clue
« Reply #45 on: November 10, 2010, 10:49:11 AM »



"So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish"

Offline Yeager

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 10167
Re: Missile Launch off California coast - Pentagon has no clue
« Reply #46 on: November 10, 2010, 11:00:10 AM »
Doug Richardson, the editor of Jane’s Missiles and Rockets, examined the video for the Times of London and said he was left with little doubt.

"It’s a solid propellant missile," he told the Times. "You can tell from the efflux [smoke]."

Richardson said it could have been a ballistic missile launched from a submarine or an interceptor, the defensive anti-missile weapon used by Navy surface ships.

====
Noooo!  Its a bottle rocket!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5jDfX4P0jY
"If someone flips you the bird and you don't know it, does it still count?" - SLIMpkns

Offline Sabre

  • Gold Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3112
      • Rich Owen
Re: Missile Launch off California coast - Pentagon has no clue
« Reply #47 on: November 10, 2010, 11:21:52 AM »
I was stationed at Vandenberg AFB for 5 years and saw plenty of launches.  Looks like a missile to me.  If If I were to guess, it looks like an air defense type, maybe a Standard missile, which is the Navy's mid-to-long range interceptor (the ER, or extended range, is a pretty good size rocket).  Doesn't look like it could be from Vandyland, as that is a bit north of the area it appears to have com from, so a ship-launched AAA rocket makes the most sense.  They don't do test sub-launches of tomahawks or harpoons in that area, and NEVER do SLMB launches without a lot of pre-notification (for what should be pretty obvious reasons).  I don't believe it is a foreign launch, as that would be an insanely dangerous move by a foreign power.  Of course, it could have been a terrorist group, one that went wrong perhaps, as it appear to have headed out to sea rather than over land.

That area has plenty of radar coverage, as there's so much air traffic in that area, and it seems odd (mysteriously so) that no ATC reports have been forthcoming.  We've also seen no upgrading of the threat levels in this country (if it were a terrorist attempt, there would be), so my best guess would be an accidental launch.  That in itself is a distrubing enough scenario.
Sabre
"The urge to save humanity almost always masks a desire to rule it."

Offline dedalos

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 8052
Re: Missile Launch off California coast - Pentagon has no clue
« Reply #48 on: November 10, 2010, 11:32:48 AM »
OK, to all the challenged people thinking this was a foreign launch, keep this in mind.

Foreign launches originate somewhere else.  Like in a foreign country, for example.  They tend to land here, not take off from here.
Friendly launches on the other hand, may originate here and head towards a foreign country  :lol

 Big thank you to the OP.  One can learn so match about people by reading threads like this one  :rofl
Quote from: 2bighorn on December 15, 2010 at 03:46:18 PM
Dedalos pretty much ruined DA.

Offline MrRiplEy[H]

  • Persona Non Grata
  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 11633
Re: Missile Launch off California coast - Pentagon has no clue
« Reply #49 on: November 10, 2010, 11:43:19 AM »
OK, to all the challenged people thinking this was a foreign launch, keep this in mind.

Foreign launches originate somewhere else.  Like in a foreign country, for example.  They tend to land here, not take off from here.
Friendly launches on the other hand, may originate here and head towards a foreign country  :lol

 Big thank you to the OP.  One can learn so match about people by reading threads like this one  :rofl

Yeah so match as missing the submarine part lol  :rofl
Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement. –W. Clement Stone

Offline Yeager

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 10167
Re: Missile Launch off California coast - Pentagon has no clue
« Reply #50 on: November 10, 2010, 12:02:17 PM »
don't be so dense.  

A show of power by China being able to maneuver one of her three boomers off the coast of the western US and launch a test of their latest SLBM would be an awesome event.  Especially with the president out of the seat of power playing foreign kiss and tell in Asia.  Of course any test launch will head over the empty pacific, but what better demonstration, and warning.   Puts the US on notice.

This is a possibility.  If so, and coupled with the fact that the US military would have had zero clue, this development would be bitterly disappointing and frighteningly alarming. 
« Last Edit: November 10, 2010, 12:12:59 PM by Yeager »
"If someone flips you the bird and you don't know it, does it still count?" - SLIMpkns

Offline grizz441

  • Platinum Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 7000
Re: Missile Launch off California coast - Pentagon has no clue
« Reply #51 on: November 10, 2010, 12:06:42 PM »
This is all very interesting, because my friend who flew out of LAX (i believe) over a year ago, said he was looking out his window and saw a contrail coming towards his plane, he thought it was a missile and was going to shoot down the airplane.  He said he was scared to death.  I'm going to talk to him later today and see what he has to say about all of this.

Offline FLS

  • AH Training Corps
  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 11617
      • Trainer's Website
Re: Missile Launch off California coast - Pentagon has no clue
« Reply #52 on: November 10, 2010, 12:11:20 PM »
don't be so dense. 

A show of power by China being able to maneuver one of her three boomers off the coast of the western US and launch a test of their latest SLBM would be an awesome event.  Especially with the president out of the seat of power playing foreign kiss and tell in Asia.  Of course any test launch will head over the empty pacific, but what better demonstration, and warning.   Puts the US on notice.

This is a possibility. 

It's also a possibility that you can learn all about the world by watching action movies, but it isn't probable.   :old:

Offline Yeager

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 10167
Re: Missile Launch off California coast - Pentagon has no clue
« Reply #53 on: November 10, 2010, 12:18:31 PM »
FLS what is your point?
"If someone flips you the bird and you don't know it, does it still count?" - SLIMpkns

Offline Kazzzz

  • Zinc Member
  • *
  • Posts: 14
Re: Missile Launch off California coast - Pentagon has no clue
« Reply #54 on: November 10, 2010, 12:22:13 PM »
You know what question I haven't heard anyone on the news or the internet ask? Why is this news helicopter the ONLY one who saw this huge freaking missile-rocket-whatever launched off the coast of LA? Maybe because only from that perspective did it look like a missile. Where are all the on the street interviews of "joe blow" who also saw this missile launch? I'm sure everyone eating dinner at a waterfront restaurant would have seen this spectacular sunset missile launch.

Kazz

Offline FLS

  • AH Training Corps
  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 11617
      • Trainer's Website
Re: Missile Launch off California coast - Pentagon has no clue
« Reply #55 on: November 10, 2010, 12:27:04 PM »
My point is that just about anything, no matter how absurd, is a possibility. For example it's a possibility that a missile launch in view of millions of people is only seen from one location where coincidentally a contrail would resemble a missile launch. It's not probable, but it's a possibility. It's a possibility that China would risk starting WW3 to demonstrate a capability that we already know they have, but it's not probable.

Is my point clear now?  :D

Offline Yeager

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 10167
Re: Missile Launch off California coast - Pentagon has no clue
« Reply #56 on: November 10, 2010, 12:34:06 PM »
Yes.

Wheres my B29
"If someone flips you the bird and you don't know it, does it still count?" - SLIMpkns

Offline Melvin

  • Persona Non Grata
  • Gold Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2797
Re: Missile Launch off California coast - Pentagon has no clue
« Reply #57 on: November 10, 2010, 12:38:52 PM »
You know what question I haven't heard anyone on the news or the internet ask? Why is this news helicopter the ONLY one who saw this huge freaking missile-rocket-whatever launched off the coast of LA? Maybe because only from that perspective did it look like a missile. Where are all the on the street interviews of "joe blow" who also saw this missile launch? I'm sure everyone eating dinner at a waterfront restaurant would have seen this spectacular sunset missile launch.

Kazz

I looked and found that a ferry was scheduled to leave Santa Catalina Island at 4:30 PST. en-route to Newport Beach CA. The trip is estimated at 1 hr 15 min.

So, I went and figured that since the "rocket" was spotted at 5:00 PST, this ferry would have been less than 1/2 way home.

This would have placed the ferry approximately 40 miles from the suspected "launch" site. I would think that someone would notice an ICBM being launched from 40 miles. Not to mention all of the pleasure craft and the huge amount of commercial traffic that is inbound/outbound from Long Beach harbor.

My money is on "optical illusion. Of course it could always be that wacky Balloon Boy is at it again.

<S> Melvin
See Rule #4

Offline rpm

  • Plutonium Member
  • *******
  • Posts: 15661
Re: Missile Launch off California coast - Pentagon has no clue
« Reply #58 on: November 10, 2010, 12:39:37 PM »

That area has plenty of radar coverage, as there's so much air traffic in that area, and it seems odd (mysteriously so) that no ATC reports have been forthcoming.  We've also seen no upgrading of the threat levels in this country (if it were a terrorist attempt, there would be), so my best guess would be an accidental launch.  That in itself is a distrubing enough scenario.
Only thing I've found is this:

NOTAM for LA.

KZLA LOS ANGELES A2832/10 – THE FOLLOWING RESTRICTIONS ARE REQUIRED DUE TO NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER WEAPONS DIVISION ACTIVATION OF W537. IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY, ALL NON-PARTICIPATING PILOTS ARE ADVISED TO AVOID W537. IFR TRAFFIC UNDER ATC JURISDICTION SHOULD ANTICIPATE CLEARANCE AROUND W537 AND CAE 1176. CAE 1155 WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR OCEANIC TRANSITION. CAE 1316 & CAE 1318 WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR OCEANIC TRANSITION. CAE 1177 WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR OCEANIC TRANSITION. W537 ACTIVE, CAE 1176 CLOSED. SURFACE – FL390, 09 NOV 20:00 2010 UNTIL 10 NOV 01:00 2010. CREATED: 08 NOV 20:52 2010
My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.
Stay thirsty my friends.

Offline Melvin

  • Persona Non Grata
  • Gold Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2797
Re: Missile Launch off California coast - Pentagon has no clue
« Reply #59 on: November 10, 2010, 12:49:41 PM »
Only thing I've found is this:

NOTAM for LA.

KZLA LOS ANGELES A2832/10 – THE FOLLOWING RESTRICTIONS ARE REQUIRED DUE TO NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER WEAPONS DIVISION ACTIVATION OF W537. IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY, ALL NON-PARTICIPATING PILOTS ARE ADVISED TO AVOID W537. IFR TRAFFIC UNDER ATC JURISDICTION SHOULD ANTICIPATE CLEARANCE AROUND W537 AND CAE 1176. CAE 1155 WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR OCEANIC TRANSITION. CAE 1316 & CAE 1318 WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR OCEANIC TRANSITION. CAE 1177 WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR OCEANIC TRANSITION. W537 ACTIVE, CAE 1176 CLOSED. SURFACE – FL390, 09 NOV 20:00 2010 UNTIL 10 NOV 01:00 2010. CREATED: 08 NOV 20:52 2010

The only issue I have with this is that it was created nearly 4 hours after the "event", and wasn't due to go into effect until the next day at 20:00. Also, I'm not sure they could do much (concerning some mysterious launch) in the 5 hour window it provides.

My guess is that this is coincidental to some prior arranged exercise.

<S> Melvin
See Rule #4