Congressional UAP Hearing Features Video of Hellfire Missile Striking Orb; Experts Disagree on Origin

A black-and-white video shown at a congressional hearing on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) appears to show a U.S. MQ-9 drone launching a Hellfire missile at an orb-shaped object that continues on after the strike, a development that lawmakers and experts said Tuesday prompted sharply divergent interpretations.

Missouri Rep. Eric Burlison presented the footage, which he said was provided anonymously in a "dead drop" and dated Oct. 30, 2024. Burlison told lawmakers the clip showed an MQ-9 tracking an orb off the coast of Yemen while another MQ-9 launched a Hellfire missile. In the video the missile seemingly strikes the object but the object remains visibly unaffected.

The video was part of the third congressional hearing on UAPs since 2023 and was accompanied by testimony from military veterans who described other unexplained encounters. The footage drew an immediate reaction from UAP journalists at the hearing. George Knapp, a chief investigative reporter for KLAS-TV in Las Vegas who testified at the session, asked rhetorically, "What the h*** is that?" Burlison responded that he would not speculate but pressed that the greater question was why access to such material is allegedly being restricted.

Reactions from analysts and researchers were split. Mark Christopher Lee, a UFO researcher and filmmaker, described the object to the Daily Mail as "non-human," saying the orb's luminous, spherical appearance, lack of visible propulsion and apparent ability to deflect the missile pointed to technology beyond current human capabilities. Lee suggested the object resembled a plasma phenomenon and said its behavior was "highly unusual."

Other analysts urged caution. Alejandro Rojas, an adviser at Enigma Labs, which analyzes UAP reports, said the clip appears authentic but may have a conventional explanation. "It seems like the object hit was moving slowly and did not continue. To me, it appears that the missile was unaffected and continued flying," Rojas said, adding that the incident could reflect a military test or another type of drone.

Three military witnesses also testified at the hearing, providing additional accounts of unexplained craft. Dylan Borland, a former Air Force geospatial intelligence specialist, alleged in his opening statement that multiple government agencies blocked him from employment, forged documents and manipulated his security clearance after encounters he reported. Jeffrey Nuccetelli, a former Air Force military police officer, described a series of incidents at Vandenberg Air Force Base between 2003 and 2005, including reports of a "glowing red square" hovering over missile defense sites and a large rectangular object more than 100 yards long. Nuccetelli said he saw a light move toward Vandenberg, hover briefly and then vanish; he also alleged that local records were destroyed.

An active-duty sailor, Senior Chief Petty Officer Alexandro Wiggins, recounted observing Tic-Tac–shaped vehicles emerge from the Pacific and perform maneuvers near the USS Jackson on Feb. 15, 2023. Wiggins said multiple Tic-Tac objects accelerated simultaneously without creating sonic booms or visible engine trails.

Witnesses and journalists at the hearing framed the hearing within a decades-long effort to obtain records and testimony about unusual aerial incidents. Knapp noted that the Freedom of Information Act, enacted in 1966, has led to the release of thousands of pages of previously classified documents that changed long-standing official narratives about UAPs.

Lawmakers at the hearing raised questions about government transparency and whether relevant material is being withheld from Congress and the public. Burlison said the video had been received anonymously and asked why access to such information is restricted, while witnesses described alleged intimidation and secrecy surrounding some reported incidents.

Officials at the hearing did not offer a definitive explanation for the Oct. 30 clip. Independent analysts who examined the footage said the image appears authentic but differed on interpretation, with some proposing extraordinary explanations and others urging consideration of conventional systems, sensor artifacts or test operations.

The footage and testimony underscore continuing congressional interest in UAPs and the challenge facing policymakers and investigators: assessing encounters documented on military sensors, establishing whether incidents pose flight- or national-security risks, and determining what information should be disclosed to oversight bodies and the public. The Pentagon and intelligence offices have previously established programs and reporting mechanisms intended to collect and analyze UAP incidents, but witnesses and lawmakers at the hearing said those efforts have been inconsistent.

The hearing added to a body of testimony and released records that officials and researchers say require careful analysis. Experts who favor more disclosure urged systematic investigation and data sharing, while skeptics cautioned against drawing conclusions from single incidents. The clip shown to Congress will likely be examined further by both government analysts and outside researchers as part of ongoing scrutiny of UAP encounters captured by military platforms.