On Thursday, Trump announced that he had ordered the Pentagon to restart nuclear weapons tests. He cited China’s rapid expansion of its nuclear stockpile as a key reason for the decision, emphasizing that the U.S. must maintain parity with other powers.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that the U.S. possesses more nuclear warheads than any other country, but that China would reach parity within five years. He also renamed the Department of Defense the “Department of War.”

The announcement came just before Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

Are U.S. Rivals Truly a Threat?

According to reports, China’s nuclear warhead count rose from 350 in 2022 to 410 in 2023. The U.S., by comparison, is expected to have 3,708 warheads in 2023 — roughly nine times more than China.

Russia recently tested its Burevestnik nuclear-powered cruise missile and the Poseidon nuclear-powered supertorpedo. These platforms currently carry no nuclear warheads, but systems like Poseidon have the capacity to carry them in the future.

Historical Context of Nuclear Testing

Most countries ceased nuclear tests after signing the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) in 1996.

• The U.S. conducted its first nuclear test in 1945 and carried out a total of 1,032 tests, with the last in 1992.
• The Soviet Union conducted 715 tests, ending in 1990. Russia ratified the CTBT in 2000 but withdrew its ratification in 2023.
• China conducted its last nuclear test in 1996.

Trump’s decision marks a significant step in reactivating the nuclear capabilities of the world’s major powers, raising global security stakes.