Chandigarh, Nov 1: In a move that could reshape global security dynamics, US President Donald Trump has directed the Department of War to restart nuclear weapons testing, ending a 33-year halt. The decision, coming amid heightened geopolitical competition, marks a dramatic departure from decades of restraint and could set off a new global nuclear arms race.
Trump justified the decision by arguing the need to test “on an equal footing” with Russia and China — both of which are modernising their nuclear arsenals but have not conducted explosive tests since the early 1990s. The trigger appears to have been Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of the successful test of ‘Poseidon’, a nuclear-powered underwater drone designed to deliver massive damage to coastal infrastructure. Although Poseidon’s test did not involve a nuclear explosion, it was perceived in Washington as a signal of Moscow’s strategic intent.
Arms race fears resurface
Strategic experts warn that the US resumption of testing could erode fragile international arms control frameworks, including the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which the US signed but never ratified. Other nations — including Russia, China, India, Pakistan, and Iran — may feel pressured to follow suit or accelerate nuclear weapons development.
A recent report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) had already warned of a “new qualitative nuclear arms race,” one likely to be more complex than the Cold War competition, spanning cyberspace, outer space, and undersea technologies. SIPRI noted that all nine nuclear-armed states continued intensive modernisation of their arsenals in 2024.
Strategic rationale — and criticism
From Washington’s perspective, the decision is framed as a measure to ensure reliability and safety of the US nuclear stockpile — a deterrence imperative in an era of renewed great-power rivalry. However, experts argue that modern computer simulations and data from past tests can already validate weapon performance, making physical detonations unnecessary.
Environmental and public health concerns
Resuming nuclear explosive testing could revive memories of environmental devastation. Tests in Nevada during the mid-20th century left behind radioactive contamination, health crises, and displacement of local communities. Any new round of testing would risk similar outcomes, with fallout and radionuclide pollution affecting air, soil, water, and food chains.
Diplomatic timing
The announcement comes as arms control negotiations hang in the balance. The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between the US and Russia — the last remaining nuclear arms limitation agreement — expires on February 4, 2026. Russia suspended its participation in 2023, and efforts to include China in future frameworks have stalled.
With global tensions intensifying, Trump’s decision could undo decades of slow progress toward disarmament and push the world into a new, unpredictable nuclear era — one shaped less by treaties and more by technological brinkmanship.
