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Courtesy Juliee London via Instagram
The so-called "Beltway UFO" is actually an 82-foot drone.
Beltway traffic in Washington, D.C., is bad enough without adding extraterrestrial vehicles into the mix.
On Wednesday night, Facebook and Twitter users went wild over sightings of a saucer-shaped vessel being towed on local highways. The buzz called to mind the frenzy in 1947 Roswell, albeit in a much more modern way.
Drivers spotted the craft on I-270 and on the Beltway as it was pulled behind a tractor trailer.
For more, visit NBCWashington.com
But we can take the "unidentified" out of "unidentified flying object." (And yes, we realize that it wasn't actually flying, either.) The military has confirmed to NBC News affiliate News4 that the 82-foot-long craft is an unmanned military aircraft, known as an X-47B.
Maryland State Police towed it on a flatbed trailer from Garrett County, Md., to Naval Air Station Patuxent River.
The drone had come all the way from California -- and yes, it "always attracts attention," a military spokesperson told NBC4's Melissa Mollet.
The craft is the second of its kind to come to the area. An X-47B arrived in late 2011 -- although if they towed that one on the Beltway, no one must have noticed.
Poll: Americans OK with some domestic drones
"In the coming months, you can expect to see the X-47B flying over the base and surrounding area along the Chesapeake Bay," said Matt Funk, lead test engineer.
According to a military press release:
The X-47B is the first unmanned vehicle designed to take off and land on an aircraft carrier. As part of the program's demonstration, the X-47B will perform arrested landings and catapult launches at Pax to validate its ability to conduct precision approaches to the carrier. The base is one of only a few sites in the world where the Navy can run performance tests on aircraft-carrier catapult operations at a land-based facility with flight test and engineering support resources not available on a ship.
Although Maryland State Police helped orchestrate the the drone's Wednesday night commute, even they didn't know what it was at the time, police told News4.
"Don't worry, that's not an alien spacecraft, just a flying military robot. [That was a] totally normal sentence in 2012. I love the future," Ben Jacobs tweeted.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:
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It's the NEW Air FORCE ONE Obama ordered. Somebody said he was a Space Alien. I didn't believe it. Until NOW.
OMFG
I didn't wanna believe in ZOMBIES, demons and angels, space aliens and such. But ! guess you can't hide from the truth forever.
I wonder what Don Rumsfeld is doing today? Anybody know?? Call me. : D
Only a NJ ite would write such imbecilic drivel and expect anyone to 1) listen to his rant against OBAMA, and 2) give a care what he/she is saying. It's either a male/female/shemale/trans or whatever and who gives a rat's behind!
Just one more technology that alleviates the need for people. Now that these "unmanned" drones will be landing on aircraft carriers we will be able to get rid of the "Flyboys." Think about it. Where are all the workers that used to populate Detroit in the auto industry? They were replaced with robotics.
The Shadow Government and social elite are maneuvering for depopulation, and are doing it right in front of us. Are they going to be in for a massive let down when Jesus comes back and sets up his kingdom, and they are all thrown into the Lake of Fire.
This is where all your tax dollars and SS Money borrowed from the Slush Fund ignominiously labelled for emergency spending, which is killing our Nation. The MIC is completely out of control and dumb asses get on here and extoll the virtues of their new toys! Wake up you imbeciles! We are collapsing from within and you are applauding! What sickening weasels you really ARE!
Doc, what are you a doc of? Tree surgery? The only things a federal government should be doing is defense, diplomacy, money stuff, enforcing the bill of rights and obvious interstate regulation like aviation, rail, telecommunications, foreign commerce. The states do the rest, each according to the particular whims of the individual state's citizens.
tom343
Doc, what are you a doc of?
He's an abortionist.
Yeah, and if they allow news photos of this thing, you can bet there are two more generations (at least) beyond it being tested at Groom Lake. The military doesn't let this sort of thing out from under wraps unless there is something better in the works that can gain from testing on prototypes like this. Fortunately, nobody in the White House is claiming they 'invented' it.
Another Obama political ploy to make him look like he's leading the country. The drone could have been delivered straight to the NAS but doing it this way takes the subject off of the economy.
One wonders if there is anything important about this device why they didn't just put it on a government ship out west and sail it to Pawtuxet, thus keeping it from prying eyes. Not to be more of a paranoid than life has made me, but this administration does nothing unplanned. Unfortunately, lately its planning has been kind of funny. Perhaps as is said above, this is a diversion created for political purpose. And of course, if the darn thing is worth a hoot, a diversion at the continued cost of national security.
Some of you Dems are people I served with, people I was taught by, friends, relatives even. I think maybe it is time you backed away from this endless rationalization about the president. Why could Roosevelt kept the Manhattan Project so secret for years while this thing gets thrown on a flatbed and pushed into DC traffic?
Use common sense. The US government or any other government wouldn't ever build a Drone that's 82ft long. If you believe its a drone ignorance and stupendous must dominate your life.
why wouldn't they build a drone 82 ft long? the purpose of this unmanned aircraft is to deliver large payloads, something that is not yet possible with "predators" and the like. it's funny that you claim it would require ignorance to agree with this idea. can any of you conspiracy theorists tell me with absolute certainty that you could spot the difference between 82ft and 28ft when it's flying 10's of thousands of feet above your head. too bad Darwin's theories couldn't adapt themselves to discard of the mentally inferior as well....
What did it cost to make it? I heard 175 million for the one that crashed. So when it crashes how much to replace it as it looks a bit fancier. Then again, only tax payer money being used to spy on...the taxpayers! lol.
Tess F
What did it cost to make it? I heard 175 million for the one that crashed.
No. You heard wrong. That one was 175 Kazillion $
That's why there's a little drain on the world economy right now.
175 Kazillion?? No way! That would tap into their profits too much! Thank goodness military hasn't heard about the world economy getting sucked down the drain. Boys and their toys!
Looks like another way to get one less pilot flying our planes. And then we have Dr. Einstein playing R/C with a big flying grey turd, and people start freaking out like its the end of the world.
That looks just like what I saw when I was 12 years old when I was hunting raccoons one night with my brother-in-law and a friend. Exactly the same shape and size. That is not a drone plane.
When is this IRRESPONSIBLE OBAMA Administration going to STOP releasing things like this.....this is just too much IGNORANCE FROM THIS sick, twisted and brainwashed MAN!!!
It's funny that my brother saw one of these at a military base in NM. It was being hauled also, back more than 30 years ago. It was covered with a tarp, but the wind blew the tarp partly off, he was doing road construction on the base at the time.
Man that ain't @!$%#. Wait until you see the one the Iranians got. It's bigger, faster, and can carry a million nuclear bombs. It's the mother of all airships. I heard they got it at a yard sale Satem Hussein was havin before he moved underground.
Without Bill Birnes and that Georgio dude who only owns one set of clothes (his only shirt was originally white but...now lacks any armpits at all) I don't believe a word of this. It was a mockup, merely a promo for a James Cameron grade-B space opera.
They had to tow it. The dilithium crystals were exhausted.
My brother saw one of these on a military base in northern NM ( NOT ROSWELL ). It was being moved at the time, some 30 years ago. He was doing road construction on the base at the time.
ok for all those who trust the government or the military to tell the truth wake up and smell the house burning down around you because you r sheep anyways and if it was a real ufo do you think that they would tell you the truth you know like the roswell ufo was a weather baloon (even when there own professionals said that there is no material like that made on this earth dont get me wrong it might be just an unmanned craft but dont tell me that the military doesnt lie and hide the truth about ufos
...music from the twilight zone.............
Of course it can't be a UFO, the government would tell us if there was an Alien civilization with superior technology and weapons than we have, right ?????
I'm thinking the Alien government would tell us, ya
Clinton said he'd spill the beans. Did he?
jnessler
" Of course it can't be a UFO, the government would tell us if there was an Alien civilization "
" Alien civilization " ?????
Good. That means the Space Aliens are civilized right? Does it ????? I mean. Does it ? I hope. ; P
Fran,
Call me crazy but, they are "extradimentionals". They can change there appearance from human to an object.
Google it. They've already infiltrated our military and are going to strike out us with our "own" weapons to take out millions of people to make it easier to control the rest of us.
GOOGLE IT! I hate to say it, and I know you'll think I'm crazy (not), but just google it man.
I also live in NJ. Near Fort Dix.
Out...
good lord....LOL at dix....figures.....Creek is a pot smoking lunatict!...it is all so clear now!
BtownRats
you are so tight on Dog's heels that he is going to have to wear one of those warning devices they put on forklifts that beep to let people know when it's backing up.
as you are on mine....the dude is a dolt and I try to remind him.....you believe in "extradimentionals" Primey? I knew he was a kook but this is a riot! And it is called a back up alarm....and THAT was kinda funny.
You eat one face and suddenly you are a zombie....We have a massive issue here with all of our "pill mills" closed down and the pill heads needing opiates so they are turning to heroin and the methylenedioxypyrovalerone (bath salts) issues. They are acting like the "salts" are new but they have been in florida eating peoples minds for years.....~shiver~
Well yeah.. you eat one person's face off and everything else you ever did in your life just pales into insignificance
This thing doesn't exactly look like the X-45B they just want you to think it is!
Wow... You people are cracking me up! It's exciting to know Pax River is the new Area 51. I see this thing almost every day & it IS alien looking! LOL To all the Battle Star Galactica fans out there remember Scar!?
Dear Tin Foil Helmet Guy,
Told you so.
Sincerely,
Rational Person
How come my Popular Science doesn't keep me up to date about this stuff anymore. They used to.
I'm cancelling my subscribtion. I'm sticken with MSN this is the ONLY one PLACE I can get up to date reliable truthful news any more. GOOD JOB MSN.
UFOs have looked saucer-shaped for decades (centuries, millenia). Is the military designing aircraft to look like saucers in order to cover up the fact that there are actual UFO's out there? So they could say "Please, ignorant citizens, it was the X-47B trying out it's new hover-mode feature. Duh." But there are too many sightings of actual UFOs to ever disprove their existence. (I mean visitors from outside our planet).
Is this the one that crashed in Maryland a couple of days ago? They said that one was "under development" - sounds like what we are discussing here. So, Obama has "leaked" his death list, the cyber attacks on Iran and drone attracks - this drone sighting is along the same line, we have this really big secret, don't look for more than five minutes! The whole DC gang is a bunch of clowns, except the clowns and insane people are running the show!
im sick of you people. keep your ideas to yourself! kids read this stuff and when you pump their brains in with this trash! your ruining them! so just stop! god im 14 and im sick of it! just go away.
To El'Amar Davis, 1. it's a free country, thus people can and will use the law to have their freedom of speech and 2. what is your opinion on what is going on here? I would like to know your answers and your explanations of what this thing is so that we can know your opinion on the matter. Thank you.
Obviously, they write this stuff, too. This place is a hoot, not a source. Kick back and enjoy!
El'Amar Davis
" im sick of you people. keep your ideas to yourself! kids read this stuff and when you pump their brains in with this trash! your ruining them! so just stop! god im 14 and im sick of it! just go away. "
Do you really think The space Aliens care if you are 14 ? Age is just a number to them
ha ha, let's see if I have this 'conspiracy theory' boolyah correct - If the military/government/industrial complex(shades of Eisenhower, right?) won't tell us what they've found, it's a conspiracy. If they DO show us what they found, it's a conspiracy because they're trying to trick us. If anyone writes on here that it's a conspiracy, he/she either knows way too much or way too little or is in on it and trying to trick us. If anyone writes on here that it's not a conspiracy, he/she is either a fool or in on it by trying to trick us.
I think I have it. There are maybe only 2 or 3 of us left that aren't in on the conspiracy, all the other posters are in on it, and just arguing among themselves (and I'm not all that sure about you few others...or myself). This is actually much better entertainment than all those so-called reality shows that are about as unscripted as a Wall Street CEO saying he's TRULY sorry.
Uh oh. I'm in on the conspiracy! I didn't even know I was! LMAO!