(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump recently ordered tests related to nuclear weapons, but according to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, these trials will not involve actual nuclear detonations.

Speaking on Fox News' The Sunday Briefing, Wright clarified that the tests are part of a broader modernization initiative aimed at upgrading the systems and replacing outdated components of the US nuclear stockpile with more "sophisticated" technologies.

Wright explained that the tests currently being planned are system evaluations rather than full-scale nuclear explosions.

He referred to them as "non-critical explosions," emphasizing that they are designed to test the functionality of different components to ensure they “deliver the appropriate geometry and set up the nuclear explosion” when necessary.

When asked about the possibility of residents near the Nevada test site witnessing a mushroom cloud, Wright reassured the public by saying, “No worries about that.”

This comment was in response to concerns that the tests might resemble the dramatic images of nuclear blasts from past decades.

Last week, Trump directed the Pentagon to begin testing US nuclear weapons "on an equal basis" with Russia and China.

In support of the initiative, Vice President J.D. Vance stated that it is essential to verify the operational readiness of the US nuclear arsenal, ensuring that it "actually functions properly."

The US had previously ceased nuclear testing in 1992 under a moratorium mandated by Congress.

MENAFN03112025000045017167ID1110285007