Within Yemen UFOs
Did a Hellfire Missile Really Hit Yemen's Orb?
The 2024 infrared clip shows a military interception attempt, but the public footage cannot confirm a direct hit or exotic technology.
On this page
- How the footage entered the public record
- What can be seen frame by frame
- What the missing sensor data prevents US from knowing
Page outline Jump by section
Introduction
The so-called Yemen Orb Video is the most widely discussed modern unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP) case associated with Yemen. Publicly revealed during a United States congressional hearing in September 2025, the infrared footage was described as showing an MQ-9 Reaper drone tracking a small airborne object off the Yemeni coast on 30 October 2024, while another MQ-9 launched an AGM-114 Hellfire missile towards it. The object appears to remain visible after the encounter, prompting claims that the missile either missed, glanced off, or failed to destroy its target.[CBS News]cbsnews.comCBS NewsNewly released video at House UFO hearing appears to show U.S. missile striking and bouncing off orb - CBS NewsSeptember 10, 2025…
The key point is that the public video alone cannot establish what actually happened. The clip lacks the sensor metadata, telemetry, full recording, and official technical assessment needed to determine whether the missile scored a direct hit, whether the apparent interaction is influenced by infrared imaging artefacts, or even what the target itself was. As a result, the incident remains genuinely unidentified while falling well short of proving extraordinary technology.
How the footage entered the public record
The incident became public not through an official military release but through a congressional hearing on UAP transparency held by the House Oversight Committee in September 2025. During the hearing, Representative Eric Burlison presented the infrared recording, stating that it had been supplied by a whistleblower and dated 30 October 2024. According to his description:
- an MQ-9 Reaper tracked an unidentified orb-like object off Yemen;
- a second MQ-9, outside the camera view, launched an AGM-114 Hellfire missile;
- the missile appeared ineffective against the object;
- the footage had not previously been released publicly.[TWZ]twz.comRevelation That MQ-9 Reapers Are Now Engaging Aerial Targets Comes From UAP Hearing…
Neither the hearing nor the publicly available video included supporting operational documentation such as mission logs, weapons telemetry, radar tracks, aircraft position data or official after-action reports. Consequently, viewers received only a short infrared clip rather than the complete evidential record that military investigators would normally use.
This distinction matters because the hearing established that the footage existed and was considered noteworthy by those presenting it, but it did not amount to an official Department of Defense conclusion regarding either the object’s identity or the outcome of the engagement.[TWZ]twz.comRevelation That MQ-9 Reapers Are Now Engaging Aerial Targets Comes From UAP Hearing…
What can actually be seen frame by frame
The video itself is relatively brief and records events through an infrared targeting sensor rather than conventional daylight imagery.
Several features are visible with reasonable confidence.
First, a bright, compact object is tracked against the sea background while the sensor remains locked onto it.
Second, a rapidly moving bright object—identified during the hearing as a Hellfire missile—enters the frame and converges with the tracked target.
Third, a bright flash or overlap occurs at the apparent point of interaction.
Finally, after the encounter, one bright object remains visible together with additional smaller bright fragments or debris while the camera continues tracking. The surviving object appears to continue moving for several seconds before the sensor zoom changes and tracking continues at a wider field of view.[TWZ]twz.comRevelation That MQ-9 Reapers Are Now Engaging Aerial Targets Comes From UAP Hearing…
These observations describe only what is visible on the released recording. They do not by themselves reveal:
- whether the missile physically struck the object;
- whether the surviving bright point is the original object or debris;
- whether apparent fragments belong to the missile, the target or both;
- whether sensor bloom or motion blur alters the apparent geometry.
Those questions require information absent from the public release.
Why the footage is difficult to interpret
Infrared military sensors do not behave like ordinary video cameras. They display heat rather than visible colour and frequently exaggerate bright sources through blooming, glare and processing effects. Motion blur, camera stabilisation and changing zoom levels can also alter the apparent behaviour of fast-moving objects.
Independent image analysts have highlighted several complications.
One is parallax. Because both the observing drone and the target are moving, apparent changes in direction or speed can arise from changing viewing geometry rather than unusual flight characteristics.
Another is motion blur. Fast-moving hot objects often appear substantially larger than their true physical size.
A further complication is automatic tracking. The sensor continually adjusts to keep its selected target centred, making it difficult to estimate the true trajectory without the aircraft’s own flight data.
These are ordinary limitations of infrared targeting systems rather than signs of manipulation or deception. They simply mean that visual appearance alone is insufficient for reliable physical reconstruction.[Metabunk]metabunk.orgUAP Hearing New VideoUAP Hearing New Video - Yemen Orb | Metabunk…
Did the Hellfire missile really hit the orb?
This remains the central unresolved question.
Three broad interpretations have emerged.
A direct hit followed by survival. Supporters of an anomalous interpretation argue that the missile visibly impacts the object, yet the object continues flying afterwards. This reading underpins claims that the target resisted a modern precision weapon.[CBS News]cbsnews.comCBS NewsNewly released video at House UFO hearing appears to show U.S. missile striking and bouncing off orb - CBS NewsSeptember 10, 2025…
A glancing interaction or incomplete destruction. Another possibility is that the missile clipped a lightweight object, damaging it without producing the complete destruction viewers might expect. Small fragments continuing on similar trajectories could be consistent with an object breaking apart while remaining partially intact.
An apparent collision created by viewing geometry. Independent analysts have argued that the available frames are compatible with perspective effects, debris travelling on different trajectories and infrared imaging artefacts. Under this interpretation, the video does not conclusively demonstrate either a clean impact or an impossible physical interaction.[Metabunk]metabunk.orgUAP Hearing New VideoUAP Hearing New Video - Yemen Orb | Metabunk…
The publicly released material cannot distinguish conclusively between these possibilities.
What the missing sensor data prevents us from knowing
The greatest limitation is not what appears in the video but what does not.
Military targeting systems routinely record information that has not been released publicly, including:
- exact range to the target;
- altitude;
- true airspeed;
- camera angle;
- aircraft position;
- weapon telemetry;
- radar returns;
- infrared calibration data;
- complete recording before and after the published clip.
Without these measurements, independent investigators cannot reliably calculate:
- the target’s true size;
- its acceleration;
- whether it performed manoeuvres beyond known aircraft capability;
- the exact geometry of the missile intercept.
This missing context explains why the incident remains unresolved despite extensive online discussion.
Could the object have been something ordinary?
Several conventional explanations remain plausible.
A balloon or lightweight airborne object is frequently proposed because such objects can appear unusually bright on infrared imagery and may behave unpredictably after nearby explosions or partial impacts. Some analysts argue that the post-impact motion resembles debris transitioning into a ballistic fall rather than a powered craft continuing controlled flight.[Metabunk]metabunk.orgUAP Hearing New VideoUAP Hearing New Video - Yemen Orb | Metabunk…
The operational environment also matters. The waters around Yemen in late 2024 were an active combat zone containing surveillance aircraft, drones, missiles and numerous airborne objects associated with military operations. That context increases the number of conventional possibilities while simultaneously making independent verification much more difficult.
At present, none of the ordinary explanations has been confirmed publicly, but neither have they been ruled out.
Why this incident became unusually significant
Unlike many historic UFO reports that rely primarily on eyewitness testimony, the Yemen Orb case involves imagery apparently recorded by a sophisticated military sensor during an operational mission.
That combination gives the incident unusual prominence for several reasons.
- The footage appears to originate from an active military platform rather than a civilian recording.
- It depicts what was presented as an attempted weapons engagement.
- It was introduced during an official congressional hearing rather than emerging solely through social media.
- It has prompted technical analysis from both proponents of UAP transparency and sceptical image analysts.
At the same time, these strengths are balanced by equally important weaknesses: the chain of custody has not been fully documented publicly, the original sensor files remain unavailable, and no official investigation has released definitive findings.[TWZ]twz.comRevelation That MQ-9 Reapers Are Now Engaging Aerial Targets Comes From UAP Hearing…
What can be concluded with confidence
The Yemen Orb Video is best understood as an unresolved military sensor case, not as proof of exotic technology.
Several conclusions are supported by the available evidence:
- An infrared recording associated with an alleged October 2024 incident off Yemen was publicly presented during a congressional hearing in 2025.[CBS News]cbsnews.comCBS NewsNewly released video at House UFO hearing appears to show U.S. missile striking and bouncing off orb - CBS NewsSeptember 10, 2025…
- The released footage appears to show a missile approaching a tracked airborne object and a subsequent flash or apparent interaction.[CBS News]cbsnews.comCBS NewsNewly released video at House UFO hearing appears to show U.S. missile striking and bouncing off orb - CBS NewsSeptember 10, 2025…
- The public recording alone cannot establish whether the missile achieved a direct hit, whether the object survived intact, or whether imaging effects influence what viewers perceive.[Metabunk]metabunk.orgUAP Hearing New VideoUAP Hearing New Video - Yemen Orb | Metabunk…
- No publicly available sensor metadata or official technical report has confirmed extraordinary performance or ruled out conventional explanations.[TWZ]twz.comRevelation That MQ-9 Reapers Are Now Engaging Aerial Targets Comes From UAP Hearing…
For Yemen’s otherwise sparse public UAP record, this single encounter has become the defining modern case. Its importance lies less in demonstrating extraordinary technology than in illustrating how even apparently dramatic military footage can remain fundamentally inconclusive when the underlying sensor data remain unavailable.
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Endnotes
1.
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
Revelation That MQ-9 Reapers Are Now Engaging Aerial Targets Comes From UAP Hearing...
2.
Source: metabunk.org
Title: UAP Hearing New Video
Link:https://www.metabunk.org/threads/uap-hearing-new-video-yemen-orb.14427/
Source snippet
UAP Hearing New Video - Yemen Orb | Metabunk...
3.
Source: metabunk.org
Title: 3D Analysis of the Yemen Orb | Metabunk
Link:https://www.metabunk.org/threads/3d-analysis-of-the-yemen-orb.14446/
Source snippet
3D Analysis of the Yemen Orb | Metabunk...
4.
Source: metabunk.org
Title: 3D Analysis of the Yemen Orb | Page 2 | Metabunk
Link:https://www.metabunk.org/threads/3d-analysis-of-the-yemen-orb.14446/page-2
5.
Source: metabunk.org
Title: UAP Hearing New Video
Link:https://www.metabunk.org/threads/uap-hearing-new-video-yemen-orb.14427/page-3
6.
Source: metabunk.org
Title: UAP Hearing New Video
Link:https://www.metabunk.org/threads/uap-hearing-new-video-yemen-orb.14427/page-4
7.
Source: metabunk.org
Title: UAP Hearing New Video
Link:https://www.metabunk.org/threads/uap-hearing-new-video-yemen-orb.14427/page-2
8.
Source: metabunk.org
Title: UAP Hearing New Video
Link:https://www.metabunk.org/threads/uap-hearing-new-video-yemen-orb.14427/page-5
9.
Source: metabunk.org
Title: UAP Hearing New Video
Link:https://www.metabunk.org/threads/uap-hearing-new-video-yemen-orb.14427/page-6
10.
Source: cbsnews.com
Link:https://www.cbsnews.com/news/video-house-ufo-hearing-us-missile-strikes-unidentified-object/?intcid=CNR
Source snippet
CBS NewsNewly released video at House UFO hearing appears to show U.S. missile striking and bouncing off orb - CBS NewsSeptember 10, 2025...
Published: September 10, 2025
11.
Source: cbsnews.com
Title: Watch: Congressman shows video of “orb” surviving missile strike at UFO hearing
Link:https://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch-congressman-shows-video-orb-surviving-missile-strike-ufo-hearing/
Additional References
12.
Source: arxiv.org
Title: arXiv Physical Analysis of a Reported Missile
Link:https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.04126
Source snippet
Physical Analysis of a Reported Missile - "Orb" Interaction in 2024: Momentum Constraints, Atmospheric Drag, Sensor Artifacts, and T...
13.
Source: uaplogbook.com
Title: Yemen orb 3D analysis: Metabunk, Hellfire, and the UAP clip
Link:https://uaplogbook.com/yemen-orb-3d-analysis-metabunk/
Source snippet
May 31, 2026 — Short Note / May 31, 2026 THE YEMEN ORB CLIP IS TURNING INTO A 3D PROBLEM By Jan for UAP Logbook / Published May 31, 2026...
Published: May 31, 2026
14.
Source: mufon.com
Title: The Hellfire UAP Strike Video: A MUFON Analysis by Seth H
Link:https://mufon.com/2025/10/08/the-hellfire-uap-strike-video-a-mufon-photo-team-analysis/
Source snippet
Feinstein, Colorado State Director, Photo Analysis Team - MUFONOctober 8, 2025 — * Oct 8 2025 * 4 mins read * MUFON News * MUFON NewsUFO...
Published: October 8, 2025
15.
Source: uaplogbook.com
Title: Hellfire UAP Yemen clip: strange video, missing data
Link:https://uaplogbook.com/hellfire-uap-yemen/
Source snippet
May 11, 2026 — The missing parts are boring but decisive: full-length original video, unredacted sensor metadata, platform track, object...
Published: May 11, 2026
16.
Source: coloradomufon.org
Title: the hellfire uap strike video a mufon analysis
Link:https://www.coloradomufon.org/the-hellfire-uap-strike-video-a-mufon-analysis/
Source snippet
The Hellfire UAP Strike Video: A MUFON Analysis – Colorado MUFONDecember 1, 2025 — December 1, 2025May 5, 2026 - News - by Seth Feinstein...
Published: December 1, 2025
17.
Source: youtube.com
Title: New video allegedly shows UAP surviving Hellfire missile | House UAP hearing
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsCcEE-vrIk
Source snippet
MUST WATCH: Hellfire Missile Bounces Off UAP Orb Upon Contact In Footage Luna Questions Witnesses...
18.
Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPiXtqvJEfQ
Source snippet
Video: UFO hit by missile keeps flying, lawmakers ask for answers...
19.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Watch: New video shows U.S. missile bounce off UFO
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nzlSz3rJBc
Source snippet
New video allegedly shows UAP surviving Hellfire missile | House UAP hearing...
20.
Source: legion.org
Link:https://www.legion.org/information-center/news/security/2025/september/lawmakers-accuse-pentagon-of-lack-of-transparency-over-ufo-sightings
21.
Source: stripes.com
Link:https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2025-09-10/unidentified-anomalous-phenomena-whistleblower-reprisal-19046217.html