US

Identity of Mysterious Disc-Shaped ‘UFO’ Rolling Through Kansas Revealed

Northrop Grumman Identifies Craft Towed Through Kansas as X 47B DroneThe residents of Crowley County, Kansas, watched with their jaws dropped last week as a flatbed truck with what appeared to be an alien spacecraft — it was flat, disc-shaped and covered — rolled down U.S. Highway 77.

At the time, a local news report with footage of the foreign looking object said that Northrop Grumman has laid claim to owning whatever was on the truck but it wasn’t identified specifically at the time. Now, Northrop Grumman’s senior public relations manager, Brooks McKinney, has revealed the identity of what some claimed was a “UFO.”

McKinney told Life’s Little Mysteries (via Yahoo News) that the object was an X-47B drone on its way to a naval base in Maryland:

“We built two for the Navy, they were being tested at Edwards Air Force Base [in California] since March,” McKinney said. “One is on its way to Maryland, and the other will remain in California.” He took the UFO speculation in good humor, though, and understood the curiosity: “Clearly people are interested in what’s going through town. It’s unusual to see a shrink-wrapped aircraft, especially one with that shape.”

The reason it wasn’t simply flown across the country is deceptively simple: “It’s difficult to fly an unmanned drone through commercial airspace,” McKinney explained. Piloted aircraft are one thing, but long trips for large aircraft without a human pilot on board are frowned upon for both aviation security reasons and practical concerns.

Northrop Grumman Identifies Craft Towed Through Kansas as X 47B Drone

X-47B (Photo: Northrop Grumman)

Since the local news footage appeared last week on YouTube, the video has gotten more than 1 million hits. Take a look:

Northr0p Grumman’s website states the X-47B will be used in 2013 to demonstrate “the first carrier-based launches and recoveries by an autonomous, low-observable-relevant unmanned aircraft.” In 2014, it will demonstrate autonomous aerial refueling.

You can learn more about the X-47B by reading past Blaze stories on the drone.

Comments (86)

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  • Todd P
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 10:22am

    The X-47B drone is not much of a “secret” anymore, now that Iran has one on public display for the Russians and Chinese to look at. But it makes for an unusual truck payload through town…

     
    • Archtard
      Posted on December 22, 2011 at 10:50am

      The drone the Iranian’s aquired is not an X-47. The X-47B is still in the developmet phase, and has not been a secret for nearly 5 years.

      Report Post »  
    • Ruler4You
      Posted on December 22, 2011 at 10:59am

      It’s probably being added to the local police department in the life and death struggle they face there every day in the war on drugs. Don’t worry, citizens. You can trust them.

      Report Post » Ruler4You  
    • Anti_Spock
      Posted on December 22, 2011 at 1:29pm

      None of this technology is tied into area 51. Move along folks… go back to your ipods and computer games… no story here…

      Report Post » Anti_Spock  
    • TimH
      Posted on December 22, 2011 at 4:25pm

      UFO. So if it has been identified does it become an IFO? When Jesus comes back how many will “defend” with war planes and such against a UFO? How many will welcome an IFO? How many just don’t care and opened another beer?

      http://www.BornAgainHeathens.com

      Report Post » TimH  
    • okredstate
      Posted on December 22, 2011 at 8:54pm

      Iran has a RQ-170, not the XB-47. All together different.

      Report Post »  
  • SergeantMajor
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 10:12am

    Nothing to see here citizen, go on about your business…

    Report Post » SergeantMajor  
  • countryfirst
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 10:12am

    Look it’s an unmanned drone going down the street, That sounds better then “ look it’s a non-man drone in the White house “

    Report Post » countryfirst  
    • tech460
      Posted on December 22, 2011 at 9:38pm

      Amen Brother! God Bless You And Your Family And Merry Christmas :)

      Report Post »  
  • BetterDays
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 10:08am

    Just a few random thoughts,……
    If flying a drone in commercial airspace is really difficult then why does the government and local police fly them over our heads quite frequently? Take the suspected “cattle rustlers” case in North Dakota recently, or the drones on our Southren border ( supposedly) looking for illegal aliens ( to take home I’m sure!). Sounds to me like smoke blowing up my backside excuses were actually believed, yup.
    Does anyone think it was a “ real ” UFO, no, but it was a very good distraction now wasn’t it. I‘m willing to bet that uncle Obama could have snuck a division of Chineese marines in volkswagon bus’s right behind it and no one would have so much as glanced at them. Just food for thought.

    Report Post »  
    • Chris
      Posted on December 22, 2011 at 11:18am

      The reason that it is hard to fly UAVs in commercial airspace is mainly because they haven’t yet worked out a way to integrate them into the air traffic control system. Fitting autonomous unmanned aircraft into a system where there are thousands of aircraft with people in them taking directions from controllers on the ground is the issue.

      Report Post »  
    • Avigdor
      Posted on December 22, 2011 at 11:29am

      Unmanned aircraft, other wise known as UAV or drones, have one big problem. They can not look around as a human pilot would. Thus if we do use them in US airspace then they have to either be used in remote areas with little air traffic or limited to less than 1000 ft. In a combat zone we tend to them at about 5000 ft which where most private aircraft fly. Or in the case of the Globalhawk about 60,000 ft which is more like an airliner. Thus most urban areas it is just about impossible to use an UAV due to the chance of having some form of accident.

      There are smaller UAVs that resemble RC model planes that only flown up to about 500 ft and have to be within a quarter mile of the operator. Real Estate folks will use an RC helicopter to do aerial photos of large properties for example.

      But the police are no different than the military, it is nice to have eyes in the sky. That is why so many departments have helicopters. But then many TV stations have them as well. Great for traffic reports as well as eys (and cameras) on a crime scene. But all of this is expensive to keep flying.

      Just remember that you could fly an RC plane as well. And if you organized into a very large group then you could put as much resources out there as most police departments. The Professional Military Companies (PMC otherwise known as military contractors) are nothing more than a professionally organized militia that is high paid, well disciplined and well trained.

      Report Post »  
  • tdalen8898
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 10:03am

    wow, that’s interesting somewhat, but that still doesn’t explain how those cows got slaughtered in the field maybe it was the government.

    Report Post » tdalen8898  
  • rdk
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 10:02am

    These unmanned drones represent our vision of the future. Good stuff!

    Report Post »  
  • Spotlight44
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 9:42am

    Its a Drone with the wings removed ,case closed.

    Report Post »  
    • stormdwhitehouse
      Posted on December 22, 2011 at 9:55am

      I dont believe anyone but Northrop grumman or the Government actually know what is under the shrinkwrap. I also will not take the word of the Government or its affiliates to any degree. They have proven time and time again to be liars. I totally agree to the hide in plain sight comment. If we cannot physically see under the cover then can we honestly say we know what it is. Or are we going by shape? Really?

      Report Post » stormdwhitehouse  
    • AmericanStrega
      Posted on December 22, 2011 at 11:41am

      stormdwhitehouse
      Posted on December 22, 2011 at 9:55am
      I dont believe anyone but Northrop grumman or the Government actually know what is under the shrinkwrap. I also will not take the word of the Government or its affiliates to any degree. They have proven time and time again to be liars. I totally agree to the hide in plain sight comment. If we cannot physically see under the cover then can we honestly say we know what it is. Or are we going by shape? Really?

      Reply from AmericanStrega:

      BREAK OUT THE TIN FOIL MA, WE GOT US A LIVE ‘UN. You’re silly, STORMDWHITEHOUSE.

      MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL!

      Report Post »  
  • Wyratt
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 9:36am

    I like the part where this was an actual story.. I love this state though.

    Report Post » Wyratt  
  • qpwillie
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 9:34am

    If a UFO came from another planet light years away, I wouldn’t think it would need a truck to get to where it needed to be.

    Report Post » qpwillie  
  • Impenitent
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 9:24am

    Lights Out! Lights Out in London!

    wrong UFO… never mind…

    Report Post »  
  • whatthecrazy
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 9:08am

    Lets face it our sleezeball government is doing all kind of naughty things behind our backs and always have…………

    Report Post »  
  • cloudsofwar
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 9:07am

    UFO’s, really thats what worries people and gets them to call. how about calling your rep and tell them to impeach the Marxist in the white house. thats why we need control of the Senate in case BO gets reelected. UFO’s, give me a break.

    Report Post »  
  • starman70
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 9:06am

    Oh well, I was wrong. I thought it was one of those high speed racing boats.

    Report Post »  
  • Miami
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 9:00am

    No, wait it‘s Ron Paul’s ride home

    Report Post » Miami  
  • Miami
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 8:59am

    It looks alot like the gift Obama gave Iran

    Report Post » Miami  
    • Gary Fishaholic
      Posted on December 22, 2011 at 9:31am

      Looks just like that one!

      Report Post » Gary Fishaholic  
    • Miyegombo Bayartsogt
      Posted on December 22, 2011 at 10:27am

      The Islamic Republic‘s mullahs called the White House complaining about how their present from US was used and dinged up so here’s the brand new toy already gift wrapped for Christmas morning when it will suddenly appear on the front lawn of the Iranian embassy after somehow falling off a passing truck due to hacking into the driver’s GPS or something. Obama will demand they give it back, too (wink, wink).

      Report Post »  
    • moosebeeusa
      Posted on December 22, 2011 at 12:58pm

      Maybe Iran is re-gifting because they enjoyed seeing Obama saying please please please give it back.

      Report Post »  
  • ddg7
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 8:58am

    Based on the headline of the story wouldn’t this thing be a URO, ‘unidentified rolling object’? Just saying.

    Report Post »  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 8:57am

    The Iranian people were asking the same questions I’m sure.

    Report Post » Gonzo  
  • TomFerrari
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 8:55am

    AHA! This is PROOF of the coverup !
    LOL
    J/K
    Cool technology. I AM surprised it was not shrouded under tarpaulin, though!

    RESTORING LOVE, July 26 27 28
    http://www.Meetup.com/MercuryOneHQ
    Do you GBTV?

    Report Post » TomFerrari  
  • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 8:54am

    Maybe they could have packed it into a pest control truck, like the roach did on MIB, and driven across the country.

    Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
  • Darla_K
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 8:51am

    If it was really a UFO do you think the government would let it roll down the road for all to see? I think they would hide it at all costs so that the public would have no knowledge of it.

    Report Post » Darla_K  
    • Stuck_in_CA
      Posted on December 22, 2011 at 8:55am

      @Darla_K
      My first thought too. This seems to be an intentional act of toying with folks’ heads.

      Report Post » Stuck_in_CA  
    • PossumRoadkill
      Posted on December 22, 2011 at 9:03am

      Hide in plain sight……..

      Report Post » PossumRoadkill  
  • SpankDaMonkey
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 8:49am

    .
    Was that Ballon Boy, hanging off the back of the truck?……….

    Report Post » SpankDaMonkey  
  • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 8:49am

    Looks like a boat to me. I would not have given it a second look.

    Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
  • Zpro
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 8:45am

    There are a lot of mysterious objects or UFOs worldwide. To learn more visit http://www.theuforeportcenter.com

    Report Post »  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 8:44am

    Even if this thing had been hauled in the open, for all to see exactly what it was, there would still be those who insist a airplane IS a UFO; though I had hoped for a minute they had found the ship to send back Pelosi/Reid/Obama/Biden to their homeworld.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • PPMStudios
      Posted on December 22, 2011 at 9:09am

      Well, that is a nice hope for the holidays….. Unfortunately, I don‘t believe the ’homeworld’ wants those four back!!

      Report Post » PPMStudios  
  • lukerw
    Posted on December 22, 2011 at 8:40am

    It is not a UFO (Unidentified Flying Object)… if we know what it is!

    Report Post » lukerw  
    • JLGunner
      Posted on December 22, 2011 at 8:54am

      It wasn’t flying. The title should read “Hey, thats a crazy looking thing on the back of that truck!”

      Report Post » JLGunner  
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