Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), the modern term for what used to be called UFOs, have been making headlines again this year.
Any of the buzz I might be referring to centers on a high-profile congressional hearing that was held last week on September 9, where witnesses testified about mysterious sightings, government secrecy, and national security risks. The event has sort of reignited public debate, media coverage, and online discussions about whether these phenomena are extraterrestrial, advanced foreign tech, or something more mundane like drones or balloons.
Here’s what went on last week:
The September 9, 2025, Congressional Hearing
The U.S. House Oversight Committee’s Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets, chaired by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Florida), hosted its third UAP hearing since 2023. Titled “Restoring Public Trust Through UAP Transparency and Whistleblower Protection,” it featured four witnesses under oath: three military veterans and one journalist. The goal was to push for more government transparency on UAP reports, especially those from military personnel, and to address allegations of reprisals against whistleblowers.
Key Testimonies and Sightings Highlighted
Dylan Borland a U.S. Air Force Veteran described a 2012 sighting at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia of a massive, silent, 100-foot triangular craft hovering over the base. He claimed he was interviewed by the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) in 2023, but his report was dismissed. Borland alleged “sustained reprisals” for speaking out, including career threats.
Jeffrey Nuccetelli, a U.S. Air Force Veteran, shared encounters with a UAP during his service, emphasizing the need for better whistleblower protections.
Alexandro Wiggins a U.S. Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer, recounted a 2003 sighting where a UAP approached his ship, with crew members screaming, “It’s coming right for us!” He was the first active-duty witness to come forward publicly.
George Knapp, an Investigative Journalist, highlighted a “bank of UAP videos” held by the government that Congress hasn’t seen. He criticized AARO for using science to downplay sightings without full disclosure.
The hearing underscored frustrations with the Pentagon’s handling of UAP. Witnesses accused AARO of spreading misinformation and lacking transparency, despite its mandate to investigate sightings. Rep. Luna stated that “American people deserve maximum transparency … on whether [UAPs] pose a potential threat to Americans’ safety.” Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) noted that while some sightings might be adversarial tech, military personnel deserve protection for reporting them. This wasn’t just talk — lawmakers like Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Missouri) presented dramatic evidence, fueling calls for declassification and reform.
The Bombshell Video
Missile vs. Mysterious Orb
A major highlight was a never-before-seen video released by Rep. Burlison, showing a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone allegedly firing a Hellfire missile at a fast-moving, shiny orb-shaped UAP off the coast of Yemen on October 30, 2024. The footage, provided by a whistleblower and slowed down for clarity, depicts the missile striking the orb but “bouncing right off,” with the object continuing unimpeded.
The orb was tracked moving rapidly, and after the impact, it “kept going.” Knapp commented during the hearing: “That’s a hellfire missile smacking into that UFO, and bouncing right off.” This incident revived scrutiny of UAP resilience and potential threats.
See the video:
The incident also raised questions about national security — could these be advanced drones from adversaries like China or Russia? Or something more exotic? The video has gone viral, with outlets like ABC News, Newsweek, and BBC covering it extensively. Critics, including some in the UAP community, have debated its authenticity, with skeptics suggesting it could be a balloon or optical illusion, but proponents argue it shows technology beyond known human capabilities.
This footage has amplified the UAP noise as it directly challenges AARO’s claims of no verifiable extraterrestrial evidence and highlights perceived government stonewalling.
Surge in UAP Sightings
UAP reports have spiked in 2025, with the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) logging over 3,000 in the first half of the year alone — up from 2,077 in the same period of 2023 and 1,492 in 2024. An independent report from May 2023 to June 2024 documented 757 new sightings, mostly “lights” in the sky, often near military sites. Common explanations include balloons (70% of closed cases), drones (16%), birds (8%), and satellites (4%), but stigma around reporting persists.
Other Recent Sightings
In Finger Lakes, New York (August 2025), a glowing orb sparked UFO mania in a small town, going viral on social media before being identified as a Vulcan Centaur rocket launch from Florida.
During the New Jersey Drone Swarms (Ongoing into 2025), citizen scientists John and Gerry Tedesco, using custom hyperspectral cameras and radar, investigated mysterious drones with “signature management” tech (changing light frequencies to evade detection). Their work, acknowledged by former AARO director Tim Phillips, warns of airspace anomalies that could “come home to roost.”
With regard to the historical Peruvian Jungle Incident, marine Jonathan Weygandt described stumbling upon a “living” UFO craft in the jungle, followed by U.S. officials detaining him and ordering silence — dismissed as a “weather balloon.”
Even more recently at Wright-Patterson AFB, there were sightings of a huge black cube UAP over five days, plus triangular crafts, with pilot Ryan Graves’ group set to release 900+ new close-encounter reports.
The Pentagon’s AARO maintains a “rigorous scientific framework” and finds no evidence of extraterrestrial origins, attributing most to prosaic causes. NASA echoes this, stating no credible alien evidence exists. However, nearly half of Americans believe the government is concealing info, per polls. Whistleblowers like Luis Elizondo (former Pentagon UAP program head) have accused the intelligence community of “excessive secrecy” to hide non-human presence.
Public Reaction and Broader Implications
Coverage from BBC, USA Today, Space.com, and Newsweek has exploded, with X (formerly Twitter) buzzing about the hearing — posts debating the Yemen video, whistleblower reprisals, and calls for disclosure garnered thousands of engagements. Semantic searches show frustration with government “normalizing” anomalies without deeper investigation.
Proponents argue UAP pose real threats (e.g., interfering with aircraft), while skeptics like Mick West point to misidentifications. Aerospace experts warn of complacency, as unaddressed anomalies could lead to incidents.
A push for change? Maybe. Bipartisan lawmakers are renewing UAP disclosure legislation. Groups like Americans for Safe Aerospace are amplifying pilot reports, and events like the UAP Disclosure Fund’s briefings add pressure.
With over 2,000 sightings reported in early 2025, the stigma is fading, but controversies (e.g., debates over “transients” in astronomical plates possibly linked to nuclear tests or UAP) keep the topic heated.
At the end of the day, all of this most recent buzz about UAP stems from credible military testimonies, undeniable video evidence of resilient UAP, and ongoing secrecy allegations amid rising sightings. While the government insists most are explainable, the hearing has substantiated claims of underreporting and reprisals, fueling demands for transparency. If these are just drones or balloons, why the resistance to full disclosure? The debate rages on, blending science, security, and speculation.
For more info on all of this business about UAP, you can check out the ongoing coverage from sources like NewsNation or NUFORC.
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