So much for the fun mystery. It turns out that the “Smuggled Kansas UFO” was in fact a military drone.

Gizmodo updates us on the latest:

the UTO (unidentified towed object) was actually an X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System, a drone designed to operate from aircraft carriers. Northrop Grumman has confirmed they were shipping the lethal wing to the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. There it will be tested on an airstrip designed as a carrier runway.

The X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System

Since breaking a few days ago, this story has gathered much speculation on various different sites and online forums. It just goes to show you how quickly rumors of “captured UFOs” can spread. The local news in Cowley County managed to get much attention since their vague report aired.

File this one under solved!