Bellevue, Washington, became the unlikely scene of a peculiar discovery: a local resident’s garage housed what was identified as an inert Douglas AIR-2 Genie missile, originally designed to carry a nuclear warhead.
The saga began when the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Ohio contacted Bellevue police about a man’s offer to donate what he claimed was a rocket.
According to the BBC, the military museum’s interest in the object prompted a rapid police response, and the bomb squad was sent to the man’s home to assess the situation.
Despite initial alarm, authorities quickly confirmed that the missile was, in fact, inert, likening it to “basically a gas tank for rocket fuel.”
An inert rocket of the type used to carry a nuclear warhead has been found in the garage of a home of a deceased resident in Washington state, police said. https://t.co/IlQLvfHsFl
— ABC News (@ABC) February 4, 2024
Missile in Washington: No danger to the public
The Bellevue Police Department clarified the situation in a press release, stating that the missile, a Douglas AIR-2 Genie, lacked the warhead component, ensuring that there was never any real threat to the safety of the community.
This clarification came as a relief to residents and underlined the unusual nature of the incident, with police humorously noting that it’s not every day they get calls about nuclear missiles in garages.
The discovery of the Genie missile, used by the United States and Canada during the most tense moments of the Cold War, sparked curiosity and interest.
Despite its initial potential for alarm, the missile will likely now find a new home in a museum, where it can be appreciated as a historical artifact, without the danger of explosion.
The man, who preferred to remain anonymous and expressed frustration with the media attention, inadvertently contributed to a unique story that bridges the past and present.
While Bellevue police concluded their investigation without incident, this episode serves as a reminder of the unexpected ways history can make its presence felt, even in the quiet corners of our daily lives.
More about the Douglas AIR-2 Genie missile
The Douglas AIR-2 Genie was an unguided air-to-air missile developed by the United States during the Cold War, specifically designed to intercept enemy bomber formations at high altitude.
Unique in being the only US air-to-air missile armed with a nuclear warhead, the Genie was developed in response to the potential threat from Soviet bomber fleets during the 1950s.
The missile was designed to be launched by interceptor aircraft such as the Convair F-106 Delta Dart, with the idea that the powerful nuclear explosion would be capable of destroying or severely damaging several enemy aircraft without requiring a direct hit. With a 1.5 kiloton W25 warhead, the Genie had a limited effective range, but was powerful enough to serve its strategic defensive purpose.
The AIR-2 Genie entered service in 1957 and remained in use until the 1980s, symbolizing the intensity of the arms race and the logic of nuclear deterrence of the time.
Despite its destructive potential, the Genie was tested with a live warhead only once, during Operation Plumbbob in 1957, in a test over the Nevada desert, which demonstrated its capability, but also highlighted serious concerns about the use of nuclear weapons in aerial combat over civilian populations.
The existence of the Genie and its eventual retirement reflect the shift in military doctrines and air defense technology, moving away from reliance on tactical nuclear weapons toward more accurate and less destructive guided missile systems, in line with new limited conflict strategies. and precision on the battlefield.
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