Did a Missile Really Hit Yemen's Orb?

Introduction

The most discussed modern UFO case linked to Yemen is a short military video reportedly recorded on 30 October 2024 off the Yemeni coast and publicly shown during a United States congressional hearing in September 2025. In the clip, an object described as an orb is tracked from an MQ-9 Reaper drone platform while a Hellfire missile appears to pass into or strike the target area. The dramatic public claim was that the missile hit the object and effectively bounced off it without destroying it. That interpretation quickly became the headline. The evidence, however, is far less straightforward.

The footage is important because it appears to involve an actual military engagement in one of the world’s most heavily monitored conflict zones. Yet the public release contains only a limited segment of video, with no accompanying radar data, targeting information, sensor logs, weapon telemetry or official Pentagon assessment. As a result, the Yemen orb case remains notable not because it proves something extraordinary, but because it sits in an unresolved space between genuine military footage and highly speculative interpretation. [CBS News]cbsnews.comvideo house ufo hearing us missile strikes unidentified objectreaper drone shows a glowing orb off the coast of Yemen. Then in the video, a Hellfire missile…Read more…

What the public video appears to show

The footage was presented by Representative Eric Burlison during a congressional hearing focused on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs). According to statements made at the hearing, the recording was dated 30 October 2024 and allegedly came from a whistleblower source. The object was said to have been tracked off the coast of Yemen by MQ-9 Reaper drones. CBS News [ABC News]abcnews.comCongressman shows never-before-seen video at military…Does a new video released by a congressman show a U.S. military Hellfire missile…

In the publicly visible sequence:

• A bright object appears over water.
• The object looks roughly spherical or orb-like in the available imagery.
• A missile track enters the frame.
• A moment of apparent contact or near-contact occurs.
• Debris or fragments seem visible immediately afterward.
• The object, or something in the same area of the frame, continues moving. [Newsweek]newsweek.comufo video congress drone strike uap 2127452NewsweekDeclassified Video Shows US Trying to Shoot Down UFOSep 10, 2025 — The footage shows an MQ-9 Reaper drone tracking the object bef…

The clip’s power comes from the final moments. Viewers naturally focus on the fact that something remains visible after the engagement. This led to repeated media descriptions that the missile “bounced off” the object. Yet the available footage does not clearly establish what physically happened at the point of interaction. CBS News [The Independent]independent.co.ukufo congress hearing video yemen b2823663The IndependentVideo of US hellfire missile 'bouncing' off speeding UFO…10 Sept 2025 — Never-before-seen footage shows a US military H…

A key complication is that military infrared and targeting-camera footage often compresses depth, distance and relative motion. Objects that appear to collide in a two-dimensional image do not always occupy the same point in three-dimensional space.

Which parts of the story are actually confirmed

The Yemen case is often discussed as if every major claim has already been established. In reality, only a limited set of facts can be treated as confirmed.

Confirmed or strongly documented elements include:

• A video was publicly shown during a congressional UAP hearing in September 2025. [CBS News]cbsnews.comvideo house ufo hearing us missile strikes unidentified objectreaper drone shows a glowing orb off the coast of Yemen. Then in the video, a Hellfire missile…Read more…
• The footage was described as having been recorded on 30 October 2024. [CBS News]cbsnews.comvideo house ufo hearing us missile strikes unidentified objectreaper drone shows a glowing orb off the coast of Yemen. Then in the video, a Hellfire missile…Read more…
• The event was claimed to have occurred off the coast of Yemen. [CBS News]cbsnews.comvideo house ufo hearing us missile strikes unidentified objectreaper drone shows a glowing orb off the coast of Yemen. Then in the video, a Hellfire missile…Read more…
• The platform was described as involving MQ-9 Reaper drones. [The War Zone]twz.comThe War ZoneRevelation That MQ-9 Reapers Are Now Engaging Aerial…9 Sept 2025 — A newly disclosed video claims to show an MQ-9 trying t…
• A missile consistent with a Hellfire-family weapon appears in the released footage. [CBS News]cbsnews.comvideo house ufo hearing us missile strikes unidentified objectreaper drone shows a glowing orb off the coast of Yemen. Then in the video, a Hellfire missile…Read more…

Much of the wider narrative remains unverified:

Those missing pieces matter because they are exactly the types of evidence investigators would normally use to determine whether a target was struck, missed, misidentified or incorrectly interpreted.

Why the missile-strike claim remains contested

The strongest claim associated with the video is not that an unidentified object was present. It is that a Hellfire missile directly hit the object and failed to destroy it.

That conclusion depends on several assumptions that the public footage does not independently prove.

A near miss can resemble a direct hit

One possibility is that the missile passed extremely close to the target without making solid contact. At long range and through a tracking sensor, depth perception becomes difficult. Two objects can appear to overlap in a camera image even when separated by distance in real space.

Several technical observers analysing the released footage pointed to parallax and perspective effects as potential explanations for the apparent collision. Under this interpretation, the missile and target merely crossed the same line of sight from the camera’s viewpoint. [Metabunk]metabunk.orgUAP Hearing New VideoMetabunkUAP Hearing New Video - Yemen Orb9 Sept 2025 —…

Debris does not necessarily mean an intact object survived

Some viewers interpreted visible fragments as evidence that the missile struck the object but failed to damage it.

An equally conventional reading is that the fragments were the damage. If the target were a drone, lightweight aerial vehicle or balloon-like object, a glancing impact could shed components while leaving part of the structure airborne for at least a short period. The public clip is too limited to determine which interpretation is correct. [Medium]avi-loeb.medium.comDid a Hellfire Missile Hit a Samad Drone LaunchedAvi LoebThe agreement between the expected size and speed of the UAP and the properties of Samad drones suggests that the UAP in the vide…

The missile may not have functioned in the way viewers assume

The phrase “Hellfire missile” often leads audiences to imagine a cinematic explosion. Real missile engagements are more varied.

Different Hellfire variants use different guidance and warhead arrangements. Some observers noted that not every engagement necessarily produces the dramatic fireball viewers expect. In the absence of confirmed information about the exact weapon model, fuze behaviour and engagement profile, conclusions based solely on the visual appearance of the strike remain uncertain. [Reddit]reddit.comRedditNew video shared by Burlison on today's UAP HearingPotentially, although there is at least one type of hellfire missile that doesn'…

The drone explanation remains one of the strongest alternatives

The Yemen setting is central to understanding the case.

By late 2024, the waters around Yemen had become a major operational theatre involving Houthi drones, missiles, maritime attacks and extensive surveillance activity. In such an environment, unidentified airborne contacts are not unusual. What is unusual is seeing one become public. [The War Zone]twz.comThe War ZoneRevelation That MQ-9 Reapers Are Now Engaging Aerial…9 Sept 2025 — A newly disclosed video claims to show an MQ-9 trying t…

Astrophysicist Avi Loeb argued that the object’s estimated behaviour could be consistent with a Houthi-launched Samad-series drone rather than an exotic craft. His interpretation suggested that a glancing encounter with a missile could account for the continued motion seen after the apparent impact. [Medium]avi-loeb.medium.comDid a Hellfire Missile Hit a Samad Drone LaunchedAvi LoebThe agreement between the expected size and speed of the UAP and the properties of Samad drones suggests that the UAP in the vide…

That explanation is not proven. However, it illustrates an important point: the existence of an unidentified target does not automatically imply a technologically extraordinary one. In a conflict zone saturated with drones, a military sensor may initially classify an object as unidentified simply because operators have not yet determined its type. [Medium]avi-loeb.medium.comDid a Hellfire Missile Hit a Samad Drone LaunchedAvi LoebThe agreement between the expected size and speed of the UAP and the properties of Samad drones suggests that the UAP in the vide…

What investigators would need to resolve the case

The public debate has largely focused on the visual drama of the clip. Investigators would focus on different evidence.

The most valuable missing data would include:

Those records could answer basic questions that the public video cannot:

Without those details, the footage functions more as a prompt for investigation than as a conclusion.

Why this remains Yemen’s most significant UAP case

Yemen has relatively few public UFO incidents backed by military imagery. That makes the off-coast orb footage unusually influential within the country’s UAP record.

Its significance comes from three factors.

First, the footage appears connected to an actual operational military mission rather than a civilian sighting. Second, it emerged through a congressional transparency process rather than through internet rumours alone. Third, it raises a concrete technical question: what exactly was the target, and what happened during the engagement? [CBS News]cbsnews.comvideo house ufo hearing us missile strikes unidentified objectreaper drone shows a glowing orb off the coast of Yemen. Then in the video, a Hellfire missile…Read more… [The War Zone]twz.comThe War ZoneRevelation That MQ-9 Reapers Are Now Engaging Aerial…9 Sept 2025 — A newly disclosed video claims to show an MQ-9 trying t…

At the same time, the case illustrates a recurring problem in modern UAP debates. A short clip can generate enormous attention while the underlying sensor data remains unavailable. The Yemen orb video may ultimately prove to involve a conventional aerial target, a sensor interpretation issue, an unusual weapon interaction or something genuinely difficult to classify. The currently available evidence does not allow a definitive choice among those possibilities. What it does show is that the headline claim — that a missile hit a mysterious orb and simply bounced off — remains an interpretation rather than an established fact. The War Zone [Metabunk]metabunk.orgUAP Hearing New VideoMetabunkUAP Hearing New Video - Yemen Orb9 Sept 2025 —…

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Further Reading

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Endnotes

1. Source: newsweek.com
   Title: ufo video congress drone strike uap 2127452
   Link: https://www.newsweek.com/ufo-video-congress-drone-strike-uap-2127452
   Source snippet

   NewsweekDeclassified Video Shows US Trying to Shoot Down UFOSep 10, 2025 — The footage shows an MQ-9 Reaper drone tracking the object bef...

2. Source: metabunk.org
   Title: UAP Hearing New Video
   Link: https://www.metabunk.org/threads/uap-hearing-new-video-yemen-orb.14427/
   Source snippet

   MetabunkUAP Hearing New Video - Yemen Orb9 Sept 2025 —...

3. Source: arxiv.org
   Title: arXiv Physical Analysis of a Reported Missile
   Link: https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.04126
   Source snippet

   arXivPhysical Analysis of a Reported Missile - "Orb" Interaction in 2024: Momentum Constraints, Atmospheric Drag, Sensor Artifacts, and T...

4. Source: avi-loeb.medium.com
   Title: Did a Hellfire Missile Hit a Samad Drone Launched
   Link: https://avi-loeb.medium.com/did-a-hellfire-missile-hit-a-samad-drone-launched-by-the-houthis-on-october-30-2024-fad0bacbda0b
   Source snippet

   Avi LoebThe agreement between the expected size and speed of the UAP and the properties of Samad drones suggests that the UAP in the vide...

5. Source: reddit.com
   Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/1ncm8pc/new_video_shared_by_burlison_on_todays_uap_hearing/
   Source snippet

   RedditNew video shared by Burlison on today's UAP HearingPotentially, although there is at least one type of hellfire missile that doesn'...

6. Source: reddit.com
   Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/aliens/comments/1ncmjdq/new_video_shared_by_burlison_on_todays_uap_hearing/
   Source snippet

   2024: MQ-9 Reaper allegedly tracking orb off coast of Yemen.Read more...

7. Source: reddit.com
   Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/skeptic/comments/1nh9vll/yemen_mq1_reaper_footage_of_uap_hellfire_strike/
   Source snippet

   Yemen MQ-1 Reaper footage of UAP Hellfire strike: r/skepticEric Burlison (R-MO), shows one Reaper drone tracking a small, glowing orb-sh...

8. Source: cbsnews.com
   Title: video house ufo hearing us missile strikes unidentified object
   Link: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/video-house-ufo-hearing-us-missile-strikes-unidentified-object/
   Source snippet

   reaper drone shows a glowing orb off the coast of Yemen. Then in the video, a Hellfire missile...Read more...

9. Source: twz.com
   Link: https://www.twz.com/news-features/revelation-that-mq-9-reapers-are-now-engaging-aerial-targets-comes-from-uap-hearing
   Source snippet

   The War ZoneRevelation That MQ-9 Reapers Are Now Engaging Aerial...9 Sept 2025 — A newly disclosed video claims to show an MQ-9 trying t...

10. Source: abcnews.com
    Link: https://abcnews.com/Politics/congressman-shows-video-military-ufo-hearing/story?id=125413475
    Source snippet

    Congressman shows never-before-seen video at military...Does a new video released by a congressman show a U.S. military Hellfire missile...

11. Source: independent.co.uk
    Title: ufo congress hearing video yemen b2823663
    Link: https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/ufo-congress-hearing-video-yemen-b2823663.html
    Source snippet

    The IndependentVideo of US hellfire missile 'bouncing' off speeding UFO...10 Sept 2025 — Never-before-seen footage shows a US military H...

12. Source: cbsnews.com
    Title: watch congressman shows video orb surviving missile strike ufo hearing
    Link: https://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch-congressman-shows-video-orb-surviving-missile-strike-ufo-hearing/
    Source snippet

    Watch: Congressman shows video of "orb" surviving missile...Rep. Eric Burlison of Missouri showed a video from Oct. 30, 2024, of what he...

13. Source: instagram.com
    Link: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DObD1BdkR6R/
    Source snippet

    CBS News on Instagram: "Video released at a UFO hearing in...Eric Burlison (R-MO), who asked journalist George Knapp about it. Knapp, wh...

14. Source: cbsnews.com
    Link: https://www.cbsnews.com/detroit/video/newly-released-video-raises-questions-at-house-ufo-hearing/

Additional References

1. Source: facebook.com
   Link: https://www.facebook.com/itvnews/posts/us-representative-eric-burlison-shared-the-footage-which-appears-to-show-a-us-mi/1185379110291429/
   Source snippet

   US representative Eric Burlison shared the footage, which...He said he was given the clip by a whistleblower and an independent review i...

2. Source: facebook.com
   Title: the video taken on 30 october 2024 shows a missile appearing to strike the orb w
   Link: https://www.facebook.com/IFLScience/posts/the-video-taken-on-30-october-2024-shows-a-missile-appearing-to-strike-the-orb-w/1342894760834971/
   Source snippet

   FacebookThe video, taken on 30 October 2024, shows a missile...The Hellfire did not explode because it is an air to ground missile and t...

   Published: october 2024

3. Source: realcleardefense.com
   Title: mq 9 reapers are now engaging aerial targets comes from uap hearing 1133927
   Link: https://www.realcleardefense.com/2025/09/10/mq-9_reapers_are_now_engaging_aerial_targets_comes_from_uap_hearing_1133927.html
   Source snippet

   MQ-9 Reapers Are Now Engaging Aerial Targets Comes...Sep 10, 2025 — A newly disclosed video claims to show an MQ-9 trying to bring down...

4. Source: wbznewsradio.iheart.com
   Link: https://wbznewsradio.iheart.com/content/2025-09-10-shocking-video-shows-hellfire-missile-bouncing-off-ufo-seen-near-yemen/
   Source snippet

   Eric Burlison, R-Mo., captured a U.S. drone firing a Hellfire missile at a mysterious orb off the coast of Yemen on...Read more...

5. Source: youtube.com
   Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsCcEE-vrIk
   Source snippet

   New video allegedly shows UAP surviving Hellfire missileThis video is of an mq9 drone tracking an orb or this object off the coast of yem...

6. Source: youtube.com
   Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37ooh5oNJDM
   Source snippet

   UFO Hearing: Bombshell video shows US military's missile...A shocking new video revealed at a congressional hearing has reignited the UF...

7. Source: sofx.com
   Link: https://www.sofx.com/video-shows-drone-missile-strike-on-unidentified-object-off-yemen/
   Source snippet

   Video Shows Drone Missile Strike on Unidentified Object...Sep 12, 2025 — A video shown Tuesday in a House hearing appears to capture a U.S...

8. Source: foxnews.com
   Title: hellfire missile bounces mysterious orb stunning uap footage shown congress
   Link: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hellfire-missile-bounces-mysterious-orb-stunning-uap-footage-shown-congress
   Source snippet

   drone firing Hellfire missile at UAP orb off Yemen, with the object remaining intact and continuing to...

9. Source: youtube.com
   Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKfeZOdzp6g
   Source snippet

   "Eric Burlison" Yemen orb video missile UAP hearing Congress reveals UFO footage of orb hit by missile off Yemen WFAA...

10. Source: facebook.com
    Link: https://www.facebook.com/NewsNationNow/videos/a-new-video-of-an-alleged-uap-off-the-coast-of-yemen-in-oct-2024-was-shown-by-re/1485045069298458/
    Source snippet

    now has air to air capability also. 8mo. Tim Reed. But was it a...