Recently, Republican Eric Burlison published a video showing an MQ-9 Reaper UAV striking an unidentified flying object (UFO) near the coast of Yemen. This happened back in October 2024, but the video has only just been released.
Beyond adding to the list of U.S. drone encounters with UFOs, the video stands out as the first documented case of an MQ-9 Reaper intercepting an airborne target with an air-to-ground missile. An AGM-114 Hellfire guided missile was used to destroy the target, according to The War Zone.
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Two MQ-9s were used for this purpose. The first, which the video shows, guides the missile to the target using a laser, while the second launches it. This is indicated by the "LRD LASE DES" inscription on the UAV interface.
It should be noted that this is not the first air target intercepted by the MQ-9 Reaper. In 2017, it destroyed a target drone with an AIM-9X air-to-air missile. However, AGM-114 Hellfire missiles are designed for ground targets, while AGM-114L Longbow missiles, equipped with a millimeter-wave radar seeker, are typically used against air targets.
In the video, the UFO moves steadily in one direction until it is hit by a Hellfire missile, which fails to detonate and either collides with the target or veers off. After descending slightly, the UFO continues on its path as if nothing occurred.
The authenticity of the video cannot be verified at this time. Although it appears convincing, it should still be approached with skepticism. Eric Burlison notes that the video was presented as received from the informant and that "independent verification is ongoing."
As for Eric Burlison, if you search for information about him, most of the news about him will be related to UFOs. This comes despite his own skepticism regarding aliens, as he has stated. Therefore, the source of this video already casts some doubt on its authenticity.
It should be noted that in 2020, the U.S. officially established a task force to study UFOs - the UAPTF (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force). This happened after the Pentagon officially confirmed the authenticity of video footage of UFOs.
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