They DID nuke them. OPERATION ARGUS fired (on an incredibly haphazard way) nuke tipped rockets off a ship S. of the equator that caused aurora in northeast US. My father, commuting to work super early into Boston, saw inexplicable bright color lights on the sky. The news papered it over.
ARGUS was about it generating relativistic electrons up near/in the van Allen to disrupt "enemy" (sic) communications.
Theres a project film in the public domain (id bought the VHS tapes from the US in the late 80s, uploadedctp you tube back when there was a 10 minute limit) but likely buried now.
The film is dull, punctuated with terrifying hazing shipboard rituals and the most insane fiddling with nuke rockets I've ever seen (trying on fins to stabilize; one fell into the sea etc).
Macho is simply dangerous. We should regulate natural testosterone.
jonny