Mystery Missile launch off US coast

[Graham Kennedy]

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

The vapour trail was seen not far off the coast of Los Angeles

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.

Story

[Mikey]

Yeah, but once we annex you guys we were planning on blowing the fault and floating Cali off to the Solomons. Oh, sorry, Striker - we'll keep Marin County, 'cause it's pretty.

Hmm. I guess the West Coast team has moved up their timetable.

[SolkaTruesilver]

It's either the A-Team on the run, or the Anti-Shield missile running some tests under the radar.

I hope NORAD's radar coverage is better at tracking incoming projectiles than outgoing.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Yeah, but once we annex you guys we were planning on blowing the fault and floating Cali off to the Solomons. Oh, sorry, Striker - we'll keep Marin County, 'cause it's pretty.

Hmm. I guess the West Coast team has moved up their timetable.

Wait, why am I mentioned here?

[Mikey]

Because I remembered the wrong DITL member being from Cali.

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Ah, aha. Meh, it's cool.

[Tsukiyumi]

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

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

Good to see we have our best minds on this.

[Mikey]

"We have top men working on it."

"Who?"

"Top. Men."

[Sonic Glitch]

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

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

Good to see we have our best minds on this.

Allow me to introduce Earths foremost expert on Missiles and their Origins, Twenty-Five Star General Zapp Brannigan!

"We have top men working on it."

"Who?"

"Top. Men."

"Fools. Bureaucratic Fools."

[Foxbat]

Shall

We

Play

A

Game

?

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Shall

We

Play

A

Game

?

*Chooses tic-tac-toe*

[Sionnach Glic]

Either the military was testing something there that they wanted to keep secret and the helicopter caught it by chance, or the Pentagon really doesn't know who fired it or why. To be honest, the latter is a bit worrying. Can you imagine what might happen if someone set themselves up close to an airport and started lobbing rockets at landing aircraft? Even if they hit nothing, it'd cause a lot of panic.

[Sonic Glitch]

Well, as a friend of mine commented when I posted this on Facebook, it could be:
"When the Pentagon says 'We don't know.' the reality is, 'we know, but we don't want you to know until after what we intend has been accomplished or fubar enough to force us to disclose the information."

[Mikey]

Perhaps. The other possibility is... they really don't know. That's a little scarier.

[SolkaTruesilver]

Perhaps. The other possibility is... they really don't know. That's a little scarier.

Remembers me of "Deuce in the Urinal" South Park episode, where the 9/11 Conspirationists are a Conspiracy.