Many Californians got a surprise this past week when they saw something quite unusual sailing through the skies of their backyard. On November 7, social media blew up with sightings of a UFO in the southern California area. Some thought the sky was falling and that it was the end of the world. There was a general sense of uncertainty and it took a bit of time to get an answer. After a lot of concerned citizens questioned what the odd streak of light was, the Navy stepped up and said they were testing their new Trident II D5 missiles, shutting down all claims of a UFO of alien nature.
Still, the people were not satisfied with the Navy’s answer and claim that this is just another government cover-up. There was no shortage of "X-Files" memes passing around Tumblr and Twitter, with users asking each other not to accept this explanation as the truth, but to think outside the box and wonder if we really are alone in this universe, or even on this planet.
While it is completely possible that we are not alone in the universe, I think many of these conspiracy theorists are missing out on what this other explanation would mean. The military restricted LAX airspace for the rest of the week and there was more testing done with a lot less worry in the area. In their explanation of the test, U.S. Navy Adm. Ceil Haney made it clear that the Trident "demonstrate[s] the readiness of our nation’s nuclear triad and serve to assure our allies and deter our potential adversaries." The Navy does these sorts of tests annually on both the West and East coasts. John M. Daniels, spokesman for the secretive Strategic Systems Programs office said that “It’s important that we test these missiles for our national security.”
Russia has been name-dropped as a reason for the recent cycle of tests. The idea is that while there is no cause for concern at this time, the United States is always prepared in case things take a turn for the worse. It was speculated that Putin responded with his own missile tests in the White Sea and in other reports, Putin claims that Russia is working on new weapons “strike systems capable of penetrating any missile defenses.” Putin also has said that he feels the US is restricting their military advances and he is not too happy about it.
This all may be a bit unsettling when you realize that relations between Russia and The United States and NATO are at a low point. Animosity has been growing faster recently and it can be a bit concerning. However, things are getting heated up all around the globe. Countries are bringing out their big guns to try to show superiority. It seems like a difficult task to demonstrate power without making a direct threat to any enemies. All want to reassure they aren’t looking for trouble, but when it comes down to it, they are prepared to defend their nations at any costs.
