Donald Trump’s recent directive to the Pentagon to resume nuclear testing “on equal terms with other countries” has drawn strong reactions both in the United States and abroad. The move, announced via social media, followed reports from the Kremlin about tests of Russia’s nuclear-powered cruise missile Burevestnik and the underwater drone Poseidon, potentially prompting Trump’s call for a U.S. response.
Does Trump Understand What He Is Calling For?
Experts are questioning whether the U.S. president fully grasps what restarting nuclear testing entails. Conducting an actual nuclear explosion is not as simple as issuing an order—it requires years of preparation, safety measures, and scientific validation. Even under optimal conditions, the preparatory phase alone would take at least a year and a half.
For years, American scientists have relied on advanced computer simulations at Department of Energy laboratories to ensure the reliability of existing nuclear warheads. These experiments replicate the initial stages of nuclear fission without reaching critical mass—meaning no actual nuclear explosion occurs.
What the Pentagon Is Really Testing
Analysts suggest that when Trump referred to “nuclear testing,” he likely meant testing delivery systems rather than warheads. The Pentagon is responsible for missiles and carriers, while nuclear detonations fall under the Department of Energy. The U.S. military has already conducted successful trials of the LRSO long-range standoff missile designed for nuclear payloads.
The U.S. never stopped testing silo-based, submarine-launched, and air-delivered missile carriers, although all modern launches involve non-nuclear mock warheads. Upcoming demonstrations may include the cutting-edge DarkEagle and Typhon systems equipped with tactical warheads.
Where Obama’s $400 Billion Went
Trump’s initiative has also renewed attention to the massive nuclear modernization plan approved under former President Barack Obama. The decade-long program, valued at $400 billion in 2017, aimed to overhaul all components of the U.S. nuclear triad. Under Trump’s first term, the only new weapon adopted was the low-yield W76-2 warhead, with an explosive power of five to six kilotons. Its deployment briefly increased the total number of nuclear munitions in the U.S. arsenal for the first time since the Cold War.
Trump has repeatedly called nuclear modernization one of his major achievements, even though no fundamentally new strategic systems were deployed during his administration. If his new tests go beyond delivery systems and involve real detonations, analysts warn, it could trigger a global chain reaction.
“If the United States resumes nuclear explosions, Russia will follow, and others will join. The world will slide back into an arms race,” said one defense expert cited in Washington.
Backlash in Washington
Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen called Trump’s decision reckless, noting that Russia has not tested nuclear weapons since 1992.
“This is a dangerous and irresponsible move by the president. Resuming nuclear tests will end more than 30 years of moratorium in the United States, and we will do it unilaterally. Neither Russia nor China has conducted a nuclear test since 1992,” she wrote on social media.
As tensions rise, scientists and lawmakers are urging restraint, warning that political theatrics should not undo decades of progress toward nuclear stability. Whether Trump’s directive leads to actual testing or remains a symbolic gesture may determine the next chapter in global arms control.
