Senator Mark Kelly raised questions this week about the potential impact of resuming nuclear weapons testing, focusing on how it might affect America's strategic position with China.
During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Kelly asked Pentagon nominee Dr. Robert Kadlec about the benefits and risks of President Donald Trump's suggestion to restart nuclear tests. Trump had told CBS's "60 Minutes" that other countries were conducting secret underground nuclear testing and indicated the U.S. might do the same.
Kelly presented data comparing nuclear testing history, explaining that the United States has conducted over 1,000 nuclear tests, while China has completed approximately 40.
"[It] does appear to clearly benefit them if our resumption of nuclear testing was to push them to start testing their weapons," Kelly said. "[They] could build a more reliable nuclear triad."
The senator noted that Donald Trump hasn't provided additional clarification on his testing comments despite multiple opportunities. "This is a destabilization issue between us, Russia, and the Chinese," Kelly stated.
Potential Reasons
Dr. Kadlec responded by discussing three potential reasons for nuclear testing: technical uncertainties about weapons, questions about the nuclear enterprise's capabilities, or geopolitical considerations.
He explained that recent reports certified America's nuclear stockpile as "safe, secure, effective, and reliable."
Kelly also discussed emerging threats, including advanced hypersonic missiles from China and Russia.
"We have to come up with a plan on how we counter those capabilities, how do we defend the homeland against those systems?" he asked.
He also pointed out that modern computer modeling can effectively simulate nuclear explosions, questioning whether new test data is necessary and emphasizing the importance of understanding strategic positioning in ongoing competition with China.
Dr. Kadlec is committed to understanding the presidential direction on the issue if confirmed to his position overseeing nuclear deterrence policy.
