Non-nuclear weapon test

On October 18, 2023, the United States conducted a high-explosive experiment at a nuclear test site in Nevada. The experiment was conducted to improve the country’s ability to detect low-yield nuclear explosions around the world. The experiment used chemicals and radioisotopes to validate new predictive explosion models to devise (設計) a method of detecting atomic blasts in other countries. The United States Energy Department, which oversees (監督) the stockpile (儲備物資) of more than 5,000 nuclear weapons, stated that this method would also be able to detect sub-critical experiments, which are small-scale explosions that verify weapon designs without the amount of atomic material needed to sustain a chain reaction.

Hours before the test, Russian officials announced that they planned to revoke (廢除) the ratification (正式簽署) of a ban on atomic weapons testing. The lower house of Russia’s parliament passed a bill on October 18, 2023, revoking Russia’s ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The CTBT prohibits all nuclear explosions in all environments, for military or civilian purposes. The United States signed the CTBT in 1996 but has not ratified it yet.

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