Seems weird to call it an “inert nuclear missile” when the entire payload component with the “nuclear” trait was not included.

For any TL;DR folks: it was just the rocket without the warhead. Basically an empty fuel tank with a nozzle.

told BBC News on Friday that the device was “just basically a gas tank for rocket fuel”. He called the event “not serious at all”. “In fact, our bomb squad member asked me why we were releasing a news release on a rusted piece of metal,” he said.

Saved you a click

This has to be one of the craziest weapons ever made. An unguided, nuclear, air-to-air rocket.

“Oh… is that what that is?”

I don’t blame the museum for calling the bomb squad. The fuel they put in those things is some real nasty toxic shit that if there were any trace left would be problematic. The whole “nuclear” part is the media being intentionally clickbaity.