17:24 27-11-2025

Hecker Warns U.S. Against Restarting Nuclear Weapons Tests

Nuclear scientist Siegfried Hecker warns that resuming U.S. nuclear tests could ignite a new arms race, undermine non-proliferation accords, and destabilize global security.

U.S. nuclear scientist Siegfried Hecker has urged Washington not to resume nuclear testing, warning that such a move could trigger a new arms race-one in which the United States itself might suffer the greatest losses. In an opinion piece for Foreign Affairs, the honorary director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory argued that restarting tests would almost certainly prompt reciprocal actions from Moscow and Beijing, setting off a chain reaction with far-reaching consequences.

Hecker stressed that if the United States returned to nuclear detonations, Russia and China would inevitably follow, and in that scenario America’s rivals could gain the upper hand.

He pointed out that for decades U.S. specialists have been able to maintain the reliability of the country’s nuclear arsenal without explosive testing, relying instead on advanced computer simulations, scientific research, and non-nuclear validation methods. These techniques, he emphasized, ensure the combat readiness of nuclear weapons without harming the environment.

The scientist also warned that bringing back underground or atmospheric nuclear tests would undermine existing international agreements on non-proliferation. He argued that such a step could destabilize global security and heighten tensions among nuclear powers.