The billionaire businessman and TV personality will have the sole power to launch nuclear strikes whenever he wants after he is handed “the biscuit”, a piece of digital hardware containing the lethal codes, during today’s inauguration ceremony.
An anonymous military aide will accompany outgoing President Barack Obama to the handover ceremony with the biscuit inside “the nuclear football”, a briefcase inside a satchel they will have slung over their shoulder.
As soon as Mr Trump takes the oath of office he will be in charge of the world’s most deadly weapons as the aide will move silently to stand next to him with the nuclear football.
From that moment the 45th US President could use the codes.
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Donald Trump will officially have control of the US' nuclear codes from 4.30pm GMT
The most powerful armoury in history contains enough nuclear firepower to flatten buildings in an area with a circumference of 48,269 km — an greater than the circumference of the planet.
A city like London would be completely destroyed by a single megaton bomb, meaning the US' 1,027 megatons would eliminate around 1,027 cities the size of central London, or would instantly kill 647 million people, if set off in urban areas.
The resulting radioactivity could potentially end all life on earth.
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Donald Trump will receive 'the biscuit' when he takes the oath
More than 100 US nuclear warheads are aimed directly at Moscow, the home of the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin.
A land-based missile flying between the US and Russia takes between 25 and 30 minutes to reach its target, while submarine-based missiles can take as little as 12 minutes. They cannot be recalled.
Despite the Constitution saying only Congress has the power to declare war, operations throughout the 20th and 21st Century have started without Congressional consent.
The Iraq War, the Afghanistan War, Operation Desert Storm, the Vietnam War and the Korean War were all started by a President trumping Congress.
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As well as having the power to launch nuclear warheads, the President also has the power to send troops to war.
With the most powerful army in the world, the reality of Mr Trump sending troops to fight is a frightening thought – and is entirely possible.
As Commander-in-Chief, Mr Trump will be in charge of the US armed forces with the largest available manpower in the world – a total of 145.2million, with 1.4m frontline personnel currently active. The British Army has under 87,000 men and women.
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Mr Trump will now have the power to send the US army to war
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US nuclear warheads could obliterate millions of people
The new President will also have a £473.3billion defence budget at his disposal, by far the most extensive in the world.
In comparison Russia, the second largest military in the world, has a budget of £38bn and the UK has £44.8bn for its armed forces.
Mr Trump, who is well-known for his support of veterans, will have 54,474 land power vehicles and weapons to play with, including 8,848 tanks.
He will also have a total of 13,444 military aircrafts and 415 naval ships and submarines to commandeer.
Inauguration of Donald Trump
Fri, January 20, 2017
The inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States will mark the commencement of the four-year term of Donald Trump as President and Mike Pence as Vice President. A public ceremony will be held on Friday, January 20, 2017, on the West Front of the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
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US President Barack Obama waves as he walks through the colonnade as he departs the Oval Office for the last time as president, at the White House in Washington, DC January 20, 2017.
Senior commanders, including the new US Secretary of Defence, retired US Marine General James Mattis will be involved in advising Mr Trump, who has no military or political experience, however the new president can also overrule him.
Mark Fitzpatrick, a nuclear non-proliferation expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Washington, confirmed the president has the ultimate sole authority.
He said: "There are no checks and balances on the president's authority to launch a nuclear strike.
”But between the time he authorises one and the time it's carried out there are other people involved."
The manpower and armaments available to Mr Trumo are detailed below:
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United States – The number one military power out of 126
Manpower
Available manpower: 145,215,000
Active frontline personnel: 1.4million
Nuclear warheads
6,800 (2,800 retired and waiting to be dismantled)
Land
Total: 54,474 vehicles
Tanks: 8,848
Armoured Fighting Vehicles: 41,062
Self-propelled guns: 1,934
Towed-artillery: 1,299
Multiple-launch rocket systems: 1,331
Air power
Total aircraft: 13,444
Flighters/Interceptors: 2,308
Fixed-Wing Attack Aircraft: 2,785
Transport Aircraft: 2,771
Helicopters: 6,084
Attack Helicopters: 957
Naval power
Total: 415
Aircraft carriers: 19
Frigates: 6
Destroyers: 62
Submarines: 75
Coastal Defence Craft: 13
Mine Warfare: 11
Defence budget: $581bn
Source: CIA
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