Trump directs Pentagon to begin nuclear weapons testing
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President Trump announced he has instructed the Pentagon to begin nuclear weapons testing immediately, citing other countries’ testing programs as justification.
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Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office of the White House on February 3, 2025 in Washington. (AP)
US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he has directed the Pentagon to begin tests of US nuclear weapons “on an equal basis” with other countries that are conducting testing programs.
Trump announces tests “On equal basis”
Trump wrote on Truth Social that, “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.”
The president framed the move as a response to foreign test programs and said the U.S. remains the largest nuclear power while warning that China could catch up within five years. Officials have not yet released technical details about the planned tests or their legal and safety frameworks.
Global testing and great‑power competition
The announcement comes amid heightened strategic tensions and recent public discussion of advanced weapons tests by other states. Analysts will be watching for official guidance from the Department of Defense and nuclear safety regulators about where, how and under what legal authorities any tests would be conducted.
In April this year, China's Nuclear Energy Administration reported that for the first time, China has become the global leader in total nuclear energy capacity, currently having 102 nuclear power units either in operation, under construction, or approved, amounting to a total capacity of 113 million kilowatts
China’s first commercial fourth-generation gigawatt-level fast neutron reactor, named the CFR-1000, is currently awaiting approval and is projected to begin operations after 2030.
