US Orders Resumption of Nuclear Weapon Testing

• 03 Nov 2025

For Prelims: Nuclear Weapon, Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), No First Use Policy, New START, Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).    

For Mains: Implications of the resumption of nuclear testing by the US and steps needed to preserve nuclear peace and prevent nuclear escalation. India's stance regarding the use of nuclear weapons.

Source: IE

Why in News?

The US President has ordered the resumption of US nuclear weapon testing after a gap of 33 years (1992), marking a major shift in global nuclear policy.

What is the Status of Global Nuclear Weapon Testing Facility?

• Beginning: The nuclear era began in 1945 with the US atomic tests and bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ending World War II, while the Soviet Union’s 1949 test soon intensified Cold War tensions.
• Frequency of Nuclear Testing: From 1945 to 1996, over 2,000 nuclear tests were conducted worldwide, with India and Pakistan testing twice in 1998 and North Korea six times between 2006–2017.
  • The US last tested in 1992, China and France in 1996, and the Soviet Union in 1990; Russia, inheriting the Soviet Union’s arsenal, has never conducted a test.
• Reasons For Halting Nuclear Tests: Nuclear tests by the Soviet Union in Kazakhstan and the Arctic and by Western nations in the Pacific islands caused radiation exposure, land contamination, and lasting health and environmental harm.
  • The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) (1996) bans all nuclear explosions to curb tensions; Russia ratified it in 2000 but revoked it in 2023, while the US has signed but not ratified it.
• Drivers of Nuclear Test Resumption: Nuclear testing may be resumed to confirm the effectiveness of existing and new weapons and to send strategic messages to rival nations.

What can be the Implications of the U.S. Resuming Nuclear Weapon Testing?

• Geopolitical Implications: US nuclear testing could trigger Russia, China, and others to resume tests, sparking a new global arms race and heightening military tensions among major powers. 
  • It may also encourage Pakistan, North Korea, or Iran to expand or test their arsenals, disrupting regional stability.
  • This could pressure India to reconsider its strategic doctrines, especially vis-à-vis China and Pakistan.
  • It enables real-world testing of advanced warheads and delivery systems, beyond computer simulations.
• Diplomatic Implications: CTBT, though unenforced, remains a key global norm; resuming nuclear tests would undermine it, break the long-standing taboo (disapproval), and erode trust in global disarmament efforts and Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) objectives.
  • It heightens the US focus on military deterrence over diplomatic engagement, aligning with Trump’s earlier nuclear triad modernization efforts.
• Environmental Implications: Nuclear tests can release radioactive materials into the atmosphere contaminating air, water, and soil with long-lived isotopes like Caesium-137 and Strontium-90. 
  • This greatly raises risks of cancer, genetic mutations, and birth defects in nearby populations.
• Undermining Global Disarmament Goals: It undermines the spirit of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), adopted in 2017, and may weaken global commitment to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation treaties such as the NPT and CTBT.
• Ethical Concerns: It disproportionately harms vulnerable communities, undermines global peace, and violates the spirit of disarmament treaties like the CTBT. 
  • Pursuing security through destructive means contradicts principles of non-maleficence, justice, and moral responsibility toward humanity and nature.

Nuclear Arms Control Treaties 

• Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), 1968: Seeks to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, promote disarmament, and encourage peaceful use of nuclear energy, recognizing five nuclear-weapon states — the US, Russia, UK, France, and China. (India is not a member)
• Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), 1996: Bans all nuclear explosions for testing purposes, though it has not yet entered into force. (India has not signed CTBT)
• Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), 2017: Prohibits the use, possession, testing, and transfer of nuclear weapons under international law.

What is India's Stand on the Use of Nuclear Weapons?

• Nuclear Testing: India upholds a voluntary moratorium on nuclear testing but chooses not to make it a legally binding treaty commitment.
• No First Use (NFU) Policy: India adheres to a No First Use policy, reaffirmed in the 2003 Nuclear Doctrine, maintaining credible minimum deterrence.
• Commitment to Non-Proliferation: Though not an NPT signatory, India upholds its non-proliferation goals.
• Peaceful Nuclear Applications: India promotes peaceful nuclear energy use in power, medicine, and industry as a sustainable, low-carbon solution and is a signatory to the 1994 Convention on Nuclear Safety.
• Balancing Civilian and Strategic Needs: India balances its civilian nuclear energy program and strategic arsenal, with its three-stage thorium-based program promoting self-reliance in nuclear energy.

What Steps can Preserve Nuclear Peace and Prevent Nuclear Escalation?

• Reinforce Non-proliferation Instruments: Renew verifiable arms limits through New START–style agreements and enforce the CTBT to curb nuclear testing and arms races.
  • Strengthen export controls and Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) guidelines to prevent the spread of weapons-grade materials and sensitive technologies.
• Reduce Accidental or Hasty Use: Secure and harden command systems with stronger cybersecurity and fail-safe controls to prevent accidental escalation.
  • De-alert nuclear forces and lengthen decision timelines to reduce “use-now” pressure and allow cooling-off time. 
• Revive Arms Control Dialogues: Strategic dialogues involving U.S., Russia, and China should be reinitiated under UN or G20 frameworks to ensure transparency and restraint.
• Confidence Building Measures: Implement mutual inventories and reciprocal inspections to verify force levels, and impose freezes on weapon upgrades or deliveries as interim confidence-building steps.
• Sustained High-Level Diplomacy: Nuclear risk reduction must remain a top global priority, fostering dialogue and cooperation to ensure security without reliance on nuclear deterrence.

Conclusion

Resuming US nuclear tests risks undermining arms-control norms, triggering a renewed arms race, damaging the environment and public health, complicating global non-proliferation efforts, while straining diplomacy and increasing economic costs.

Drishti Mains Question:

Q. Examine the implications of resumption of nuclear testing by a major power on global arms control regimes

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What is the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)?
The CTBT (1996) prohibits all nuclear explosions; it has not entered into force—major signatories like the US signed but not ratified, undermining enforceability.

2. What are the key environmental risks associated with nuclear weapons testing?
Testing releases long-lived radioactive isotopes like Caesium-137, leading to widespread contamination of air, soil, and water, and increasing risks of cancer and genetic defects in exposed populations.

3. What is the cornerstone of India's declared nuclear doctrine?
India follows a No First Use (NFU) policy with credible minimum deterrence, balances civilian nuclear programmes and strategic needs while supporting non-proliferation objectives.

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Prelims

Q. In India, why are some nuclear reactors kept under “IAEA safeguards” while others are not? (2020)

(a) Some use uranium and others use thorium

(b) Some use imported uranium and others use domestic supplies

(c) Some are operated by foreign enterprises and others are operated by domestic enterprises

(d) Some are State-owned and others are privately owned

Ans: (b)

Mains

Q. With growing energy needs should India keep on expanding its nuclear energy programme? Discuss the facts and fears associated with nuclear energy. (2018)