Overview
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the initial tests will be non‑critical system exercises and will not involve nuclear explosions.
- The plan calls for evaluating all parts of a weapon except the nuclear explosive package to confirm performance.
- Wright said simulations will draw on archival data from 1960s–1980s detonations and modern computing to model outcomes with high accuracy.
- The Department of Energy and its NNSA will run the program as part of stockpile verification and modernization after decades without explosive testing.
- The announcement drew sharp reactions, with the UN condemning any return to testing, China expressing concern, Russia threatening reciprocal steps, and politicians split in the U.S. and Germany.