A nuclear warhead-carrying inert projectile was discovered in the garage of the residence of a deceased resident in the state of Washington, according to the police
A report of a military-grade missile in the garage of a residence in Bellevue, Washington, across Lake Washington from Seattle, prompted the Bellevue police to respond on Thursday.
On Wednesday evening, an Air Force museum in Dayton, Ohio, reportedly informed police of a donation offer for the item, which a neighbor claimed was acquired at an estate sale.
The rusting object was identified by bomb squad members as a Douglas AIR-2 Genie (formerly designated MB-1), an unguided air-to-air missile with a 1.5-kilot W25 nuclear warhead.
The absence of a rocket fuel container and a payload effectively rendered the object an artifact devoid of any explosive potential.
The police stated, “Because the object was inert and the military did not request its return, they entrusted the neighbor with the task of restoring it for museum display.”
US, Canada Utilize Unguided Air-to-Air Missile
The Air Force Armament Museum Foundation claims that during the Cold War, when intercepting Soviet strategic bombers was a crucial military goal, the United States and Canada used the unguided air-to-air missile.
In July 1957, a F89J interceptor launched a Genie from an altitude of 18,000 feet (approximately 5,500 meters) above Yucca Flats, Nevada. The rocket subsequently underwent its sole test detonation using a nuclear-tipped air-to-air rocket in the United States.