[ben_w]

Two high altitude (~1000 km) detonations of high yield fission or low yield fusion (few hundred kT equivalent) would do it, one above Amarillo, the other above the ocean half way between the Paracel Islands and Manila.

Trump has ordered the restart of nuclear weapon testing, has a problem with China, and is surrounded by sychophants; what's the odds this happens anyway, irregardless of which specific sub-goal is being persued when the button gets pushed?

[deaux]

Bit unfortunate for the tens or hundreds of millions of lives that costs, rather than the <1,000, potentially even <20, it would've taken early last year.