Overview
- President Donald Trump said he instructed the military to test U.S. nuclear weapons, signaling a restart of testing after three decades.
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated the planned activities are system tests without nuclear detonations, relying on simulations and archived data.
- The trials will exercise all weapon components except the nuclear explosive package to verify performance and evaluate new designs under Department of Energy oversight.
- The United States has not conducted an explosive nuclear test since 1992, and no country other than North Korea has tested since the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which major powers have not ratified.
- Reaction split quickly: Senator Mark Kelly called the move an unnecessary escalation that could spur Chinese testing, while German CDU/CSU lawmaker Jürgen Hardt defended the deterrent role of U.S. weapons for Europe.