Overview
- Trump posted on Truth Social that he told the military to begin testing U.S. nuclear weapons immediately, without specifying whether he meant warhead detonations or delivery-system trials.
- Analysts trace the statement to Russia’s recent publicity surrounding an experimental nuclear-powered cruise missile and an underwater torpedo, neither of which involved nuclear blasts.
- Experts say a return to explosive testing is improbable in the near term, noting the last U.S. detonation occurred in 1992 and that the United States observes a de facto test moratorium even though it never ratified the CTBT, which Russia derecognized in 2023.
- Any detonation would be managed by the Energy Department’s NNSA, with estimates ranging from roughly 6–10 months to prepare a site for a simple underground shot to 24–36 months to resume broader testing, and recent furloughs and funding needs could slow work.
- Arms-control advocates and lawmakers warn new U.S. testing could spur Russia and China and urge renewed diplomacy, including extending New START as its expiration approaches, with one former NNSA official estimating a single simple test could cost up to $100 million.