US nuclear tests will become subcritical — they will only test the operation of nuclear weapons systems. This was announced on November 2 by the head of the US Department of Energy, Chris Wright.
“The tests in question are system tests, not nuclear explosions. We call them subcritical,” he said on Fox News.
According to him, all other parts of nuclear weapons are involved in such tests to make sure that they provide the appropriate geometry and create a nuclear explosion. Wright noted that the United States is developing new and more advanced systems to make nuclear warheads more reliable than previous ones.
Bloomberg clarifies that when asked by reporters whether residents near the US military training ground in Nevada should “expect a mushroom cloud at some point,” Wright assured that there was no need to worry about it.
On October 29, US President Donald Trump posted a statement on his Truth Social network, where he announced that he had instructed the Pentagon to begin testing nuclear weapons “on an equal basis.” According to the president, the process should begin “immediately.” At the same time, earlier that day, Trump refused to answer a question from reporters about the reasons for the start of weapons testing.
On the same day, Trump said that the United States and Russia were negotiating on nuclear disarmament, adding that if successful, China could join the process. The American leader stressed that the process of denuclearization is important for global security, and if progress is made in this area, it can become the basis for further steps in relations with other world nuclear powers.