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Vapor Trail Left by Missile? Or Not?

About two weeks ago, what looked very much like the trail of a fired missile was filmed off the California coast. The U.S. government professed not to know what it was, others who were introduced as experts said it was an airliner, and after a few days the news died down.

But not quite. A retired Navy specialist says that it was definitely a missile, it definitely wasn't ours, and furthermore it was fired near the California coast by a submarine that was underwater at the time!

Who to believe? Your own eyes or what someone else says? Have missile trails you've seen looked similar to what you see in the video? And as many plane contrails as you've seen, have you ever seen one leave a trail like that? The following video shows the clip that started it all, along with a Russian expert who says the consensus in his circles is that it was a ballistic missile, most likely launched by a submarine. It's a great embarrassment to the U.S. military, he adds.

For what the retired U.S. Navy specialist says about it, see the first link just below the video. The sailor says he worked with guided missiles while serving in the military and is an expert on the subject.


Retired Navy Specialist: That Was a Missile Off California

Mystery vapor trail over California was left by plane, not missile, experts say [Washington Post]