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UFO off California? Streaking light was missile test, Pentagon says

Social media lit up with reports of streaking lights across the skies from California to Arizona

Reuters November 09, 2015

Social media lit up with reports of streaking lights across the skies from California to Arizona. PHOTO: VENTUREBEAT

Social media lit up with reports of streaking lights across the skies from California to Arizona, but the phenomenon turned out to be a Navy missile test flight launched off the southern California coast, the Pentagon said.

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A Pentagon public affairs spokesman said a US Navy Strategic Systems Programs Trident II (D5) missile test flight was conducted at sea from the USS Kentucky, in the Pacific Test Range off the coast of Southern California.

Users of social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook posted photos, comments and video of the lights, wondering whether they might have come from everything from a meteor to a UFO.

The tests of the unarmed missile were part of a scheduled, on-going system evaluation test, according to the spokesman, Commander Ryan Perry.

Such launches are conducted on a frequent, recurring basis to ensure the continued reliability of the system, Perry said, as well as to provide systems information and assurances of their capabilities.

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Because information regarding the test launch of Trident II (D5) missiles is classified prior to the launch, such missile testing is not routinely announced, he noted.

COMMENTS (1)

curious2 | 9 years ago | Reply I visited S Calif as a child right after the Cuban Missile Crisis --- nearby Vandenberg Air Force Base launched a test missile one night which looked much like this video - that missile went off course and they aborted/exploded the missile in flight. It was an amazing sight - large glowing ball that was slowly expanding - as a child I thought it was the start of WW3. Those who think the Cold War was good because their was "balance" are young/ignorant and dead wrong.

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