The UFO That “Ate” a Hellfire Missile? What Really Happened

Short answer: It didn’t happen. There is no verified video from a congressional hearing showing a U.S. drone firing a Hellfire at a glowing orb near Yemen—and the missile “bouncing off.” But there is a real Pentagon “orb” video from the Middle East, and a real UAP hearing today. Here’s how a viral claim stitched those pieces together—and got the story wrong.

Lead: The most important correction

• No credible record shows the U.S. fired a Hellfire missile at a UAP “orb” near Yemen, and no missile “bounced off” any such object. The only on‑point, official “orb” video was released by the Pentagon’s AARO from July 12, 2022 in the Middle East. It shows no weapons use, no “bouncing” missiles, and AARO said the object showed no anomalous behavior; independent analysts have suggested it was likely a balloon. Sources: DoD video and explainer; independent analysis
  • DoD/AARO video: https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/videoid/880273/?utm_source=openai
  • Navy mirror: https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Videos/dvpTag/Objectives/videoid/880273/?utm_source=openai
  • Bellingcat analysis: https://bellingcat.1eye.us/news/2023/10/24/isnt-that-a-balloon-deflating-a-dod-ufo-video/?utm_source=openai

So where did the “Hellfire bounce” story come from? A blend of today’s real UAP hearing, a real Pentagon “orb” clip from 2022, and unverified war-zone videos miscaptioned across social media.

What actually happened in Congress today

• There was indeed a House Oversight hearing on UAP transparency today (Sept. 9, 2025). The official witness list named two Air Force veterans (Jeffrey Nuccetelli and Dylan Borland), “Chief Alexandro Wiggins,” and journalist George Knapp. That is not “three Navy and Air Force vets” as claimed. Source: https://oversight.house.gov/release/luna-announces-hearing-on-transparency-relating-to-unidentified-anomalous-phenomena/?utm_source=openai
• No official record or credible coverage shows Rep. Eric Burlison playing a Yemen “missile-bounce” video at the hearing. If such a clip were shown in a congressional room, multiple outlets would report it. None have. Source: same Oversight link above
• Burlison is active on UAP oversight, but that does not authenticate this specific video claim. Source: https://burlison.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-burlison-leads-letter-requesting-creation-unidentified-aerial-phenomena?utm_source=openai

The claims vs. the receipts

• Claim: An MQ‑9 Reaper tailed a glowing orb near Yemen on Oct. 30, 2024.

  • Finding: No reputable source confirms this. There are many reports of Houthis shooting down U.S. MQ‑9s in 2024–2025—but that’s Houthis firing at U.S. drones, not U.S. drones firing at orbs. Context: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Atomics_MQ-9_Reaper?utm_source=openai

• Claim: The drone “got the green light to fire,” and the Hellfire “bounced off.”

  • Finding: No corroboration. The Pentagon has repeatedly stated it has found no verifiable evidence of exotic craft defying known physics, and its released “orb” video shows no engagement. Sources: DoD video above; NPR overview of AARO findings: https://www.npr.org/2024/03/08/1237100622/pentagon-ufo-report-no-evidence-alien-technology?utm_source=openai

• Claim: The footage came from a whistleblower and is under independent review.

  • Finding: No record ties this whistleblower clip to today’s hearing or any formal review. Source: Oversight link above

The viral videos that won’t die

Since late 2024, clips labeled “orbs” surviving missiles have ricocheted across social media, often with changing captions: Afghanistan one day, Yemen the next, Israel after that. Fact‑checkers have repeatedly found these to be miscaptioned or unverified war footage. None are vetted evidence of a missile “bouncing off” a UAP.

• Reuters example: https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/yemen-explosion-video-falsely-said-show-iran-missile-hitting-israel-2024-10-04/?utm_source=openai
• AFP example: https://factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com.37TB3WD?utm_source=openai

What the Pentagon and AARO actually say about UAP

• AARO and the Pentagon’s public assessments: no verified evidence of extraterrestrial technology or secret reverse‑engineering programs. Many UAP reports resolve to balloons, drones, aircraft, or clutter; some remain unresolved largely due to limited data.
  • NPR: https://www.npr.org/2024/03/08/1237100622/pentagon-ufo-report-no-evidence-alien-technology?utm_source=openai
  • The Guardian summary: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/15/new-ufo-report-pentagon?utm_source=openai

Uncertainty is real: some cases can’t be closed with the data we have. But “unresolved” does not mean “alien,” and it certainly doesn’t mean “Hellfire-proof.”

How we checked this

• Searched official House Oversight materials for any listed video exhibits today: none mention a Yemen “orb” engagement.
• Reviewed major outlets and wire services for contemporaneous reporting: no coverage of a missile “bounce” clip shown in Congress.
• Cross‑checked DoD/AARO public releases for any MQ‑9—or Yemen—engagement video: none exist; the only relevant public “orb” video is from 2022 and shows no weapons use.
• Consulted independent analyses arguing the 2022 orb was likely a balloon, and reviewed fact‑checks of miscaptioned “orb vs. missile” clips.

How to sanity‑check the next “UFO vs. missile” video

• Look for provenance: Who posted it first? Is there original, uncut footage?
• Demand chain of custody: Can anyone show metadata, time stamps, or telemetry?
• Seek multiple independent confirmations: different angles, credible outlets, official logs.
• Watch the captions: recycled war footage often gets new labels to fit the news cycle.

What would change the story

To credibly claim a missile hit a UAP and “bounced off,” you’d need:

• Official logs or testimony confirming a weapons engagement (platform, time, coordinates)
• Raw sensor data (FLIR/IR, radar, telemetry) with verifiable metadata
• Multiple independent sources (military, allied, or commercial sensors) matching the event
• Public release or secure briefings that survive scrutiny by technical experts

Until then, the “Hellfire-proof orb” belongs to the rumor mill, not the record.

Bottom line

• There is no verified evidence that Congress saw a Yemen video of a Hellfire missile striking a UAP and “bouncing off.”
• The only official “orb” video is from 2022, shows no engagement, and likely has a mundane explanation.
• Today’s UAP hearing was real; the sensational missile story attached to it was not.

We’ll keep watching for official transcripts or exhibits from the hearing. If credible materials emerge that contradict this, we’ll update immediately.