Local authorities in Washington state have confirmed that the decaying rocket uncovered at a resident’s garage is an inactive nuclear missile.

The Bellevue police bomb squad got involved when the owner reached out to the Air Force Museum, expressing his intent to donate the military-grade rocket that once belonged to his deceased neighbor.

According to the resident, the missile which the bomb squad identified as Douglas AIR-2 Genie was purchased from an estate sale.

The bomb squad technicians also noted that the missile is designed for air-to-air use with a 1.5kt W25 nuclear warhead.

However, authorities reassured the public, stating that there was no warhead attached, thus eliminating the risk of an explosion.

Bellevue Police Department Spokesperson’s Remarks

Seth Tyler, the spokesperson for the Bellevue Police Department, noted that the discovered device was essentially a gas tank for rocket fuel as reported by BBC News.

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Downplaying the incident, Tyler labelled it as “not serious at all” and even mentioned that a bomb squad member questioned the necessity of releasing a news release on a rusted piece of metal.

Following a safety assessment, the police affirmed the missile’s safety and returned it to the man with the intention of restoration for eventual museum display.

In a lighthearted tweet, the Bellevue Police Department remarks, “We think it’s going to be a long, long time before we get another call like this again.”

Nevertheless, the individual who stumbled upon the missile in his backyard stated that he preferred to stay anonymous, expressing frustration with media coverage.

The Douglas AIR-2 Genie Nuclear Warhead

The Genie was the world’s first nuclear-armed air-to-air weapon and was the most powerful interceptor missile ever deployed by the United States Air Force (USAF)

According to the Air Force Armament Museum Foundation, the unguided air-to-air rocket was used by the U.S and Canada during the Cold War period when interception of Soviet strategic bombers was a major military concern.

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In July 1957, a Genie was launched at 18,000 feet (about 5,500 meters) from an F89J interceptor and detonated over Yucca Flats, Nevada.

This marked the first and only test detonation of a U.S. nuclear-tipped air-to-air rocket.