US to resume nuclear weapons testing on Trump's orders, a first since 1992—what's behind the decision?
United States President Donald Trump, ahead of his Thursday meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, announced the restart of nuclear weapons testing to maintain ‘equal basis’ with other nuclear powers. The US last conducted a nuclear test in 1992.
In a major strategic shift, United States President Donald Trump on Thursday directed the Department of Defense to immediately resume nuclear weapons testing, marking the first such move since 1992. The announcement comes just ahead of Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.
Trump announced that he had directed the Department of Defense to promptly resume nuclear weapons testing to maintain "equal basis" with other nuclear powers, according to Reuters.
The United States conducted its last nuclear test in 1992.
Why did Trump decide to resume nuclear weapons testing?
Ahead of the meeting with Xi in South Korea, Trump posted on TruthSocial, “Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately.” He added, "Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years."
Trump wrote on X, "The United States has more nuclear weapons than any other country.” He added, “This was achieved through a full update and renovation during my first term. Because of the tremendous destructive power, I hated to do it but had no choice.”
Trump's directive comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin last week said that Russia has successfully tested its nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile, a nuclear-capable weapon that Moscow claims can bypass any defence system, and that the country plans to move forward with its deployment amid the Ukraine war.
On Wednesday, Putin revealed that Russia had successfully tested the Poseidon nuclear-powered super torpedo, which military analysts warn could devastate coastal areas by creating massive radioactive waves. Amid Trump’s increasingly hardline rhetoric and policies toward Russia, Putin has showcased Russia’s nuclear capabilities, including testing a new Burevestnik cruise missile on 21 October and conducting nuclear launch drills on 22 October.
Earlier this week, Trump described a missile test backed by Vladimir Putin as “not appropriate” and urged the Russian leader to focus on ending the war with Ukraine, according to AFP.
Nuclear tests help verify the capabilities of new weapons and confirm that older ones remain functional. Beyond the technical insights, any new test would likely be interpreted by Russia and China as a deliberate display of US strategic strength, the report added.
The US began the nuclear age in July 1945 by testing a 20-kiloton atomic bomb at Alamogordo, New Mexico, followed by dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, which contributed to ending World War II.