Video shown to Congress depicts Hellfire missile striking orb-shaped UAP that remained intact, prompting debate

A black-and-white video shown at a congressional hearing on unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) depicts a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone launching a Hellfire missile at an orb-shaped object that, according to the footage, was struck but remained apparently unaffected. The clip, presented by Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., drew sharp questions from lawmakers and renewed debate among researchers over whether some UAP encounters involve technology beyond current human capabilities.

Burlison told the hearing the footage was delivered to him anonymously in a "dead drop" and that the imagery was recorded Oct. 30, 2024, off the coast of Yemen. He said one MQ-9 tracked the object while another launched the missile. "You will see exactly what it does," Burlison said as the panel displayed the recording.

The recording prompted sharply different interpretations from experts and witnesses. Mark Christopher Lee, a UAP researcher and filmmaker, told the Daily Mail the object "is non-human" and described it as a "glowing, bright, luminous sphere" that moved in a fast, straight line without visible signs of conventional propulsion such as exhaust plumes or rotors. Lee said the orb's apparent ability to deflect or withstand the missile was "highly unusual" and suggested a technology not consistent with known human systems. He also suggested the phenomenon could be interdimensional rather than extraterrestrial, saying, "This is the true reality of UFO disclosure. It's far weirder than beings from another planet."

Not all analysts reached that conclusion. Alejandro Rojas, an advisor at Enigma Labs, which analyzes UAP reports, said the footage appeared authentic but may admit a conventional explanation. Rojas told the Daily Mail that "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," and that the object could be the result of a military test or a drone.

The hearing included testimony from three military veterans who recounted multiple unexplained incidents from their service. Dylan Borland, a former Air Force geospatial intelligence specialist, alleged that multiple government agencies obstructed his post-service employment, forged documents and manipulated his security clearance. Jeffrey Nuccetelli, a former Air Force military police officer, described sightings between 2003 and 2005 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, including reports of a "glowing red square" hovering near missile defense sites and a large rectangular object observed in October 2003. Active-duty Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Alexandro Wiggins told lawmakers he saw Tic-Tac-shaped objects emerge from the Pacific and perform maneuvers without visible engine trails or sonic booms during an encounter aboard the USS Jackson on Feb. 15, 2023.

UAP journalist George Knapp, who also testified at the hearing, emphasized the cumulative weight of eyewitness accounts and previously withheld records. Knapp noted a long-running effort to obtain government files about strange aerial incidents and cited document releases obtained under the Freedom of Information Act as changing the public record on whether such incidents were documented.

The footage and witness accounts unfolded at the third congressional hearing on UAPs since 2023. Lawmakers have repeatedly raised concerns about gaps in government reporting, the potential implications for aviation and national security, and whether information has been improperly withheld from Congress and the public. At the hearing, Burlison asked why access to relevant information has been consistently obstructed.

Officials at the hearing and outside analysts did not reach a consensus on the origin or nature of the orb in the video. Some analysts said the clip requires further technical review to assess sensor characteristics, missile tracking data and whether optical effects or sensor artifacts could explain what appears on the screen. Others said the footage, if verified, could indicate systems that challenge current understandings of propulsion, materials and countermeasures.

The U.S. defense and intelligence communities have established programs and task forces to collect and analyze reports of UAP encounters, and lawmakers have pressed for clearer reporting requirements and greater transparency. Witnesses at the hearing reiterated calls for declassification of records, protection for those who report incidents, and more rigorous data sharing across agencies. The debate over the footage is likely to continue as officials and independent researchers seek access to original sensor data, supporting telemetry and other corroborating information necessary to determine what the video shows and whether it represents new capabilities or explains as-yet-unknown conventional activity.