WASHINGTON — The United States is weighing a return to nuclear weapons testing for the first time in over three decades, a move that has sent ripples through the international community. However, Energy Secretary Chris Wright clarified this week that while the administration is “mulling” options to ensure the nation’s deterrent remains “equal” to adversaries, there is currently no plan to conduct actual nuclear detonations.
The discussion follows a directive from President Donald Trump, who recently instructed the Department of War (formerly the Department of Defense) and the Department of Energy to prepare for testing activities. The President cited concerns that Russia and China may be conducting “secret underground tests” to modernize their own arsenals—claims both nations have denied.
“Systems Tests,” Not Mushroom Clouds
Speaking on The Sunday Briefing, Secretary Wright sought to dampen fears of a return to Cold War-era atmospheric or large-scale underground explosions.
“The tests we are talking about right now are systems tests,” Wright stated. “These are what we call non-critical explosions. They involve testing the sophisticated non-nuclear components of a weapon to ensure they function perfectly without actually triggering a nuclear chain reaction.”
The Energy Secretary emphasized that the U.S. currently relies on advanced supercomputing and “subcritical” experiments at the Nevada National Security Site to verify the safety and reliability of its aging stockpile.
A Shift in Decades of Policy
Since 1992, the U.S. has observed a voluntary moratorium on nuclear explosive testing. A move to resume even “low-yield” explosive tests would represent a seismic shift in global security policy and could potentially collapse the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) framework, which the U.S. has signed but never formally ratified.
Key points of the current U.S. stance include:
-
Transparency: The administration claims any testing will be “fully consistent with national security and transparency.”
-
Modernization: New warhead programs, such as the W93, are designed to be deployed without the need for new explosive testing, though some officials argue physical tests are becoming necessary as designs evolve.
-
Geopolitical Pressure: The “equal basis” policy is framed as a response to perceived testing by North Korea, Russia, and China.
Global Reaction
The announcement has already drawn sharp rebukes. Moscow signaled that it would “mirror” any U.S. tests, while Beijing urged Washington to safeguard the global non-proliferation system. Arms control experts warn that even “non-critical” tests, if misinterpreted, could trigger a new, high-stakes arms race.
For now, the Department of Energy remains in a “readiness” phase. While the rhetoric has intensified, the technical roadmap for a full-scale return to the Nevada test tunnels remains unwritten.
PingTV Analysis: The move appears to be as much a diplomatic lever as a scientific requirement. By “mulling” the tests publicly, the U.S. is signaling to rivals that the 30-year era of restraint may be nearing its end unless a new multilateral arms control agreement is reached.
Kremlin Blasts “U.S. Aggression” as Russian S-300 Systems Fail to Detect Caracas Strike
The ‘Backyard’ Gambit: Experts Warn of Russian Escalation in Ukraine Following Maduro’s Capture
