Despite the new common wisdom about jet contrails, an editor for Jane’s Defence Weekly says that missile-like objected spotted off the coast of California was definitely a missile.
But 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.
For its part, the military says the object wasn’t a missile but, contrary to speculation elsewhere, isn’t ready to conclude that it was just a jet’s contrail. So…what else could it be? Well, it may have been a private missile. Although the FAA, which issues licenses for commercial launches, says no launch was scheduled for that day.
I honestly don’t have a clue what this was. You have the military denying it was a missile but then they would do that if it was supposed to be a secret launch, right? Then you have some people say it’s a jet’s contrail. And then you have an editor for Jane‘s saying it was definitely a missile.
Here’s what I do know: More than 24 hours after this thing was spotted, there’s no definitive explanation. And that’s a little worrisome.
10. November 2010 at 2:18 pm
What is worrisome is the ignorance of an assortment of so-called experts in missile technology. The evidence that it is a jet contrail is so overwhelming (the same contrail was seen a day later at the same time and place, it was flight 808 inbound from Hawaii) that one has to wonder what has happened to common sense.
10. November 2010 at 4:54 pm
my guess is that it was a specially modified sub launched test missile with stealthing technology suspected to be on russian and/or chinese ICBM’s. The X-37B currently on orbit was to have tried to detect and track it. If the orbital position of the x-37B can be determined for that time, that would serve to verify my suspicion.
10. November 2010 at 6:11 pm
Where was the Ballon Boy father?
Did he have another un-intended launching?
11. November 2010 at 12:29 am
maybe we should ask the russians what we have been doing they might be more forthcoming than our own government
11. November 2010 at 4:13 am
If this was USA, classified launch intended to be secret, why launched 35 miles off Ca. during rush hour? If this was USA test launch to show capability of new stealth tech., why deny it?
I suspect unfriendlies launched from a platform delivered via cargo ship. I suspect unfriendlies are non-nation state but acquired from unfriendly nation state.