The World War II-age fighter armament of machine guns and cannon were inadequate to stop attacks by massed formations of high-speed bombers.

To ensure simplicity and reliability, the weapon would be unguided, since the large blast radius made precise accuracy unnecessary.

Once fired, the Genie's short flight-time and large blast radius made it virtually impossible for a bomber to avoid destruction.

The first interceptor squadrons to carry the MB-1 declared initial operational capability on 1 Jan. 1957, when a handful of rockets and 15 F-89 interceptors capable of carrying them were deployed at Wurtsmith Air Force Base in northern Michigan and Hamilton Air Force Base outside of San Francisco.

[5] A group of five USAF officers volunteered to stand uncovered in their light summer uniforms underneath the blast to prove that the weapon was safe for use over populated areas.

Doses received by aircrew were highest for the fliers assigned to penetrate the airburst cloud ten minutes after explosion.

While the Genie was originally intended to be carried by the F-104 Starfighter using a unique 'trapeze' launching rail, the project never proceeded beyond the testing phase.

Safety features included final arming by detecting the acceleration and deceleration of a fast aircraft at high altitude.