possible Missile launch off the coast of L.A. ?

[Evildead666]

New scientist is in on the game, but i'm not convinced by their reply:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn19704-mystery-missile-likely-a-jet-contrail-says-expert.html

[Dr Mordrid]

if it's from a sub, who would have the capabilities to do this? Russia or China?
>

Both of those, of course, but also anyone who has the bux to buy any one of several new/used diesel sub types that can launch from torpedo tubes or vertically. The arms market is full of anti-aircraft and theater missiles that can launch from torpedo tubes.

And don't think diesel subs are "quaint" - they can be quieter than some nuclear subs. Way quieter, and with modern battery technologies they can run silent a long time between charges. Not to mention subs don't have to surface to run their diesels anymore.

Germany cranks out damned good ones, as do others. Some German boats have auxiliary fuel cell power; the Type 212's fuel cells run off perimeter liquid hydrogen tanks that also muffle sounds from inside the boat. The Italians have some 212's & the US Navy has looked at some because of their very stealthy, long range ways. Pakistan is taking delivery of some Type 214's, a cheaper derivative of the 212, as are Greece and S. Korea.

Russia is also building a fuel cell sub, and sold off a bunch of their old diesels in the 90's so now even Iran & NK have some. Much of Israels nuclear deterrent force is on subs. India has a diesel sub fleet of 20+, and is building more advanced diesels and nuclear boats to boot.

Throw 10 darts at a coastal map and odds are you'll hit at least 2-3 nations with subs. Pick one, then consider that some subs are in "private" hands. Some drug smugglers even use old subs to get around the Coast Guard.

Feel better?

German Type 212 fuel cell sub

[Evildead666]

I would be more inclined to think it was a rogue 'person' on a US ship or Sub.

Don't want to let that info out in a hurry...

[dZeus]

It was either launched by a surface vessel or sub and turned west over the Pacific.

NORAD and USNORTHCOM (North American Command) deny there is/was a danger, and a couple hours ago the Pentagon said it's "unexplained." For now the Vandenberg and Point Mugu launch/test sites deny it was theirs, as does the missile defense crowd. Both the Navy and USAF disown it.

None of the usual pre-test shipping warnings or the FAA notification were issued.

USNORTHCOM is supposed to make another statement soon.

if it's from a sub, who would have the capabilities to do this? Russia or China? If either of those planned to do this, games are played with very high stakes in the geo-politics arena atm...

If guessing I'd say only Russia (Putin) would have the balls to pull off a mad stunt like this.

[Evildead666]

35 miles out is quite a ways to go with a raft or dinghy, and someone might have noticed a large rocket being taken out to sea.

"What rocket ? we're going fishing!"

[Dr Mordrid]

I can just see some drunken/stoned idiot stacking some Level 3 model rocket stages (huge) and letting it fly off a dinghy or raft

Level 3 = 5,120.01 N/s (1,150.61lbf/s) to 40,960 N/s (9,204.8 lbf/s)

[Evildead666]

One other note : from what i gather, it happened yesterday evening, and was only reported a few hours ago ?

Could that be a gag order from the Gov't for a 12hr 'WTF was that?' investigation, which came up with nothing, or nothing that they want to talk about right now ?

[Evildead666]

Scary sh*t.
We may have some super duper technology, and explosive power, but some human has the remote control. Some leak a few hundred thousand messages, others may have different ideas.

Did they have any idea as to how long 'soon' is roughly ? ('tis nearly midnight here).

[Dr Mordrid]

It was either launched by a surface vessel or sub and turned west over the Pacific.

NORAD and USNORTHCOM (North American Command) deny there is/was a danger, and a couple hours ago the Pentagon said it's "unexplained." For now the Vandenberg and Point Mugu launch/test sites deny it was theirs, as does the missile defense crowd. Both the Navy and USAF disown it.

"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."

None of the usual pre-test shipping warnings or the FAA notification were issued.

USNORTHCOM is supposed to make another statement soon.

[Technoid]

Well, if it had been in San Francisco then we would have known that Alcatraz just reopened

[Evildead666]

The sanest explanation I could give, considering The Navy and NORAD are stating they know nothing of a launch, or test launch, is that this was unexpected.

Maybe someone got the test time wrong, and let off a missile a bit early ?
Maybe they did it deliberately to 'test' the missile-warning and destruction people ?
or
Somebody with an opinion (deep cover extremist convert?) had access to the launch mechanism, and let one off, prompting a major crapstorm in the US military as to who?, why?, WTF? and all the rest, and will tell us about it in a little while when they have everything under control.

[Evildead666]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/11/09/missile-shot-los-angeles-mystery-pentagon-officials/#content

Its just about everywhere atm...

Anyone over by LA see it ?