Mystery missile launch reported off California coast

Soldato
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11721981

Pentagon officials say they cannot explain reports of a missile launch off the coast of California on Monday.

A CBS News helicopter captured what looked like the vapour trail of a missile rising from the water about 35 miles (56 km) offshore.

"Right now all indications are that it was not [defence department] involvement in this launch" Pentagon spokesman Col David Lapan said.

The Pentagon does not consider the missile a threat.

"So far we've come up empty with any explanation," Col Lapan said. "We're doing everything we can to try to figure out if anybody has any knowledge of what this event may have been."

Under normal circumstances, the launch of a US missile would require several different authorisations and notifications, but none are evident.

It is unclear if the suspected missile was launched from land or sea

I thought they be a bit more paniced to be honest, The video give the impression that it couldnt really be anything else
 
We all know its the Yanks latest stealth air to space rocket to kill the on coming Martions they haven't told us about.
 
Possibily an immigrant strapped to a jet pack trying to get across the Border...but failing and heading for Pluto instead.
 
So Jets routinely appear to take off Vertically from the Sea?

Its called perspective. There are photos of the trail from other angles and it looks far more traditional.

Its even be narrowed down to a particular flight that was on that very flightpath at that very time.

Would a jet leave that kind of smoke trail? :confused:

Yes. Its fairly standard, its only the viewing angle/lighting conditions that have made it look more interesting that it actually was.

Jets can leave con-trails hundreds of miles long in the right conditions. In these circumstances, due to the curvature of the earth, it looks like they meet the ground. :)
 
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