The Yemen "orb" and the Hellfire missile

The claim

"A US drone's missile hit a glowing orb and appeared to bounce off."

Where the idea comes from

Rep. Eric Burlison played the video at a House Oversight task force hearing on 9 September 2025, saying it came from a whistleblower.

What the evidence shows

1. The infrared video shows a missile approaching a bright object, a flash, and something continuing on a changed path.
2. The Pentagon has not publicly explained it or confirmed the full context.
3. Analysts point out that thermal video, a near miss with a proximity fuse, or debris can look like a deflection.
4. The object's size, speed and the missile's telemetry, which would settle it, have not been released.

What is still open

Release of the full sensor record, or an AARO case resolution, would decide this one.

Our verdict

Worth watching Real military video with no official explanation yet.

Sources

• House Oversight hearing coverage (CBS)

Checked 31 October 2026. Spotted a newer source? Tell us.