On October 27, 2022, the Biden administration released the unclassified version of its 2022 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR). The document states that nuclear weapons provide a unique deterrent that no other element of U.S. military power can replace and that a safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent undergirds all U.S. national defense priorities. The NPR […]
LANL remains key part of U.S. nuclear weapons plan
Policy Analyst Monica Montgomery spoke with the Santa Fe New Mexican about what the new Biden Nuclear Posture Review means for plutonium pit production and the future of a nuclear complex site in New Mexico. “Biden administration officials have recognized the infeasibility of reaching 80 pits per year by 2030 and have not yet set […]
‘SOME STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION:’ BIDEN ADMINISTRATION NUCLEAR POSTURE REVIEW CUTS SOME UNNECESSARY PROGRAMS, ALLOWS SOME COLD WAR STRATEGIES TO CONTINUE
CONTACT: Anna Schumann Communications Director aschumann@armscontrolcenter.org (OCTOBER 27—WASHINGTON) Upon the release of the Biden administration’s long-awaited unclassified Nuclear Posture Review, the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation releases the following statement by Executive Director and former Congressman John Tierney on behalf of the organization: “While we are pleased that the Biden administration’s Nuclear […]
Notable Nuclear Tests: Tsar Bomba
On October 30, 1961, the Soviet Union conducted an atmospheric test of the largest thermonuclear weapon ever created: The Tsar Bomba. Named for its unmatched destructive potential, the “emperor of bombs” yielded a blast of 50 megatons, nearly 2,000 times more powerful than the bomb the United States dropped on Nagasaki. The bomb was so […]
Fact Sheet: Nuclear Testing 101
Updated December 2024 What is a nuclear test? Nuclear tests are generally controlled explosions of nuclear devices, such as bombs or warheads. The tests are used to determine a device’s effectiveness, yield (amount of energy released during detonation) and explosive capability. There are four types of nuclear tests: Atmospheric tests occur in or above the […]
