Overview

• Rep. Eric Burlison presented whistleblower-supplied MQ-9 footage at a Sept. 9 House hearing showing a Hellfire missile engaging a glowing object off Yemen.
• The 45-second clip, recorded Oct. 30, 2024, depicts the object continuing on its path after the strike, though one report notes it is unclear whether the missile hit or narrowly missed.
• Pentagon officials declined to comment on the video, which follows prior disclosures that more than 750 UAP reports were logged from May 2023 to June 2024, with 21 flagged for deeper review.
• Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb proposed a conventional explanation, arguing the target’s size and speed match a Houthi Samad-type drone and suggesting the missile may not have detonated.
• Veterans and UAP journalist George Knapp described the outcome as highly unusual during testimony, intensifying calls from lawmakers for access to original sensor data and formal analysis.