A corroding rocket unearthed in a Washington state resident’s garage has been identified as an inactive nuclear missile, according to authorities.

Upon receiving a call from a Bellevue man expressing his intention to donate a military-grade rocket previously owned by his deceased neighbor to the Air Force Museum, officials reached out to investigate.

The man mentioned that his late neighbor had acquired the item from an estate sale.

After examination, Bellevue police bomb squad technicians confirmed the rocket’s identity as a Douglas AIR-2 Genie—an unguided air-to-air missile designed to carry a 1.5kt W25 nuclear warhead.

They assured the public that there was no attached warhead, eliminating the risk of explosion and ensuring safety.

Seth Tyler, a spokesman for Bellevue police department, said the device was “just basically a gas tank for rocket fuel”.

He told the BBC the event was “not serious at all”, adding that “our bomb squad member asked me why we were releasing a news release on a rusted piece of metal,” the Telegraph reported.

Tyler mentioned that it seemed the museum had not notified the man about reporting his donation offer.

He noted that the person in question was caught off guard and expressed significant displeasure with the media attention.

Tyler further stated that despite the situation, the individual was generous enough to allow a closer inspection of the rocket.

Written by B.C. Begley