Overview
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright said upcoming activities will test all weapon components except the nuclear warhead, with explosive effects modeled from legacy data using high-performance computing.
- President Trump reaffirmed his order to restart testing and alleged Russia and China conduct secret trials, saying he does not want the United States to be the only country not testing.
- The Department of Energy and its NNSA will run the effort, which the administration frames as modernization to address an aging arsenal.
- The United States last carried out an explosive nuclear test in 1992; the CTBT was signed in 1996 but not ratified by the United States or China, and Russia withdrew its ratification in 2023.
- The announcement prompted international concern, with the United Nations, China, and some lawmakers warning of heightened arms-race risks even without new nuclear detonations.