The Secretary of Energy stated that the U.S. will test components of nuclear weapons but will not conduct atomic bomb explosions for now. Washington wants to ensure that the components of NWT "provide the proper geometry," he said.
Nuclear weapons tests (NWT) ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump will not be accompanied by atomic bomb explosions for now. This was stated by U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on Sunday, November 2, during The Sunday Briefing program on Fox News.
"I think the tests we are talking about now are systemic tests," he emphasized. "These are not nuclear explosions. This is what we call non-critical explosions," the secretary added.
These are referred to as subcritical explosions - the tests will involve all other components of nuclear weapons and will ensure that they function and can trigger detonation, clarified Wright, whose department is responsible for such tests in the U.S.
Testing New Systems
The tests will be conducted on new systems and are intended to ensure that they are more effective than those currently in use, the American minister emphasized.
When asked if residents near the testing site in Nevada should "expect a mushroom cloud at some point," Wright replied: "No, there is no need to worry about that."
"Thanks to science and computational power, we can model with incredible accuracy what will happen in a nuclear explosion," the Reuters agency quoted him. "We are currently modeling the conditions that produced such a result, and by changing the bomb design, we are observing what consequences this will lead to," noted Chris Wright.
Trump Ordered the Resumption of Nuclear Weapons Testing
U.S. President Donald Trump previously stated that he instructed the Pentagon to begin nuclear weapons testing. "As other countries conduct testing programs, I have directed the military to start testing our nuclear weapons on a parity basis. This process will begin immediately," the head of the White House wrote on the social network Truth Social on the night of October 30.
The U.S. has not conducted full-scale nuclear weapons tests since 1992. Washington signed but did not ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) of 1996. Since then, the U.S. has conducted subcritical underground nuclear tests at the Nevada test site.
Moscow Has Not Conducted Full-Scale Nuclear Tests Since 1990
Moscow officially conducted its last nuclear test in 1990 during the Soviet era. Russia signed and ratified the CTBT but withdrew its signature in 2023. Prior to this, the U.S. accused Russia of violating the moratorium.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced tests first of the cruise missile "Burevestnik" with a nuclear power plant, and then of the underwater drone "Poseidon," equipped with a nuclear power unit. However, Russia has not officially announced tests of nuclear weapons themselves.
Leave a comment