ICBM test launch, definitely not a fucking airplane, you can see the thing rise, as well as a bright light as mentioned earlier. Also it was speculated that the launch originated 35 miles off the coast, so it's a big missile to be seen from far away.
What doesn't make sense to me is why Ellsworth said it could be a show of power by the U.S. since Obama is in Asia.
First of all, the Navy would not test such a missile so close to the coast,
Secondly, if we are demonstrating power, why not do it where people in Asia can actually see it? It does little to do it near our own territory, where it would receive little media exposure from foreign nations (unless they claimed it was themselves).
So it boils down to who has this capability and would do this. China, Russia, or N. Korea. I thought the U.S. Navy had large sonar arrays in the Pacific. It's possible that a diesel/electric sub could sneak by us, they can be quieter than our nuclear subs.
