Military drone mistaken for ‘UFO’ along DC highways

WASHINGTON -- Residents in the Washington, D.C., area were buzzing with speculation after pictures popped up online showing a "UFO" in transport along the Capitol Beltway. The sighting took place around 11:00 pm Wednesday when drivers first saw the craft being hauled on a flatbed truck on I-270, and then again down I-495.

An official at Northrop Grumman confirmed to WTTG-TV on Thursday that the craft was actually an X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System. They said the drone was being transported from Edwards Air Force Base in California to the Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland for testing.

It was not the first time this style of aircraft had been mistaken for a UFO while being transported. Last year, residents of Cowley County, Kansas made a similar mistake.