The Treaty on the Limitation of Underground Nuclear Weapon Tests, commonly known as the Threshold Test Ban Treaty (TTBT), is a bilateral agreement between the United States and Soviet Union (now Russia). Signed in 1974, the Treaty prohibits underground nuclear weapons tests greater than 150 kilotons, approximately 10 times larger than the bomb used against […]
Fact Sheet: The Limited Test Ban Treaty (LTBT)
The Limited Test Ban Treaty (LTBT) (also known as the Partial Test Ban Treaty) is a multilateral treaty banning explosive nuclear testing or “other nuclear explosions” in the atmosphere, outer space, and underwater. The treaty only permits underground nuclear testing if the test does not cause radioactive debris to be present outside the jurisdiction of […]
Fact Sheet: Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (also known as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, or NPT) is an international agreement designed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, promote cooperation between states on peaceful uses of nuclear energy, and advance nuclear disarmament. The NPT was opened for signature on July 1, 1968, and the […]
Fact Sheet: The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)
Updated April 2021 The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) is a multilateral agreement that prohibits the explosive testing of nuclear weapons. The CTBT opened for signatures on September 24, 1996, but the agreement is still in the ratification stage. The United States has signed, but has not yet ratified the treaty. The United States conducted […]
Will North Korea be the Trump Administration’s Greatest Challenge?
North Korea fired a salvo of four ballistic missiles Monday morning around 7:30 am local time (5:30 pm Sunday EST). The missiles flew an average of 620 miles before landing in the Sea of Japan. A U.S. official noted that there was a fifth missile that failed to launch. While there is no evidence that […]
