Twenty years after its last nuclear test, the United States no longer needs or wants a resumption of nuclear weapons testing. The US has signed but not yet ratified the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). As a result, Washington has denied itself – and others – the treaty’s full security benefits.
US ratification would hasten CTBT entry into force, and help the US better detect and deter testing by others.
Under the CTBT, the established nuclear-weapon states would not be able to proof-test new nuclear warhead designs. Newer nuclear nations would find it far harder to build more advanced warhead types. And emerging nuclear states, such as Iran, would encounter greater obstacles fielding a reliable arsenal. As a result, the CTBT would head-off future nuclear arms competition, particularly in the Middle East, South Asia, and the Korean peninsula.
