Trump Orders Non-Nuclear Weapons System Tests

President Trump ordered renewed testing of U.S. nuclear weapons systems; Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the work will be system tests — so‑called “noncritical” explosions of components to verify geometry and delivery systems — and will not involve full nuclear detonations or mushroom clouds. The order followed a Truth Social post in which Trump said he had instructed the “Department of War” to resume testing “on an equal basis” with Russia and China, a remark that prompted alarm and international responses. Administration officials framed the work as part of a broader modernization and assurance regime relying on component testing and computer simulation rather than live nuclear blasts. The United States has not conducted nuclear detonations since 1992 and has signed but never ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Reports say returning to live nuclear detonations would take years and be costly, while current plans focus on non‑explosive methods to ensure the arsenal functions as intended.