Will the US resume nuclear tests?

The order was issued last year, and the US administration is still debating how to implement it. The need to resume nuclear testing is linked to actions by China and Russia, which are reportedly conducting secret underground nuclear tests with yields reaching several hundred tons. According to Trump, such tests give those countries an “unacceptable advantage” over the United States.

The United States is currently conducting simulations and so-called subcritical tests, which do not produce a full nuclear explosion. In February of this year, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control Thomas DiNanno accused China of conducting a nuclear test and using techniques designed to conceal the explosion. The accusation referred to a 2020 test, and DiNanno added that the US has information indicating Beijing’s intention to carry out additional tests.

The US plans to engage in talks with the Russian Federation following the expiration of the New START treaty. The previous treaty did not cover China’s nuclear arsenal or Russia’s new weapons systems, such as the Poseidon nuclear-powered drone torpedo and the Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile.

The last US nuclear test was conducted in 1992. The American nuclear test site is located in the state of Nevada. So far, no discussions have been held regarding the possibility of conducting an atmospheric nuclear test.