(MENAFN) US Energy Secretary Chris Wright clarified that recent nuclear weapon tests ordered by President Donald Trump will not involve actual nuclear detonations. Speaking to a news outlet, Wright described the trials as part of a broader effort to modernize the US nuclear arsenal by testing “sophisticated” systems intended to replace aging components.

“I think the tests we’re talking about right now are system tests. These are not nuclear explosions. These are what we call non-critical explosions,” Wright said, explaining that the trials will verify that components function correctly and “deliver the appropriate geometry and set up the nuclear explosion.” He reassured that residents near the Nevada test site should not expect to see mushroom clouds.

The Pentagon was instructed last week to “start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis” with Russia and China. Vice President J.D. Vance emphasized the importance of confirming that the US arsenal “actually functions properly.” Since 1992, the US has relied on simulations rather than live detonations, following a congressional moratorium on nuclear tests.

Reports indicate that fully resuming nuclear tests could take years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars, with the last detonation occurring over three decades ago at the Nevada Test Site.

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