Project 2025 Tracker / What’s done, what’s next

4. Department of Defense · Major · Needs Congress

Restore nuclear weapons test readiness at the Nevada National Security Site

Not started

125 4. Department of Defense

“Restore readiness to test nuclear weapons at the Nevada National Security Site to ensure the ability of the U.S. to respond quickly to asymmetric technology surprises.”

Printed again in Chapter 12.

399 12. Department of Energy and Related Commissions

“This will require that NNSA be directed to move to immediate test readiness to give the Administration maximum flexibility in responding to adversary actions.”

What has happened

  1. Not started

    Nothing has been directed at the named object. President Trump posted (Truth Social, 2025-10-29 U.S. time) that he had instructed the Department of War to begin testing nuclear weapons 'on an equal basis' with Russia and China; Energy Secretary Wright then said the tests meant were non-nuclear system tests. No presidential document, NNSA directive, budget line or readiness change at the Nevada National Security Site followed, and DOE/NNSA's May 2026 testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee does not mention test readiness. A social-media statement the responsible Secretary walked back is not a concrete step toward restoring test readiness, so this stays not-started with the statement recorded as Evidence of what was said.

Research log

What was searched, and what didn’t count as evidence

Research notes

  • The Truth Social post is not on an allowlisted host; the NPR/AP report is the only readable record. The Hill (403) carries Wright’s clarification that the tests “won’t involve nuclear explosions” (https://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/5586001-trump-nuclear-weapons-testing/) and a “Pentagon to expedite nuclear testing on Trump’s order” piece (5583290) — leads. Just Security (allowlisted, not read in full) frames the remark as “a signal, not a strategy”.
  • DOE/NNSA joint testimony to SASC, 2026-05-13 (https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2026-05/2026.05.13%20SASC-%20DOE-NNSA%20Joint%20Final%20Testimony.pdf, read): no mention of test readiness or resumed testing; the Nevada site appears only for legacy cleanup.
  • FY2026 NDAA (P.L. 119-60) recodifies the existing nuclear-test-readiness reporting requirement (new 10 U.S.C. 6119) and the 1996 testing moratorium (10 U.S.C. 6121, lifted only if a foreign state tests); it directs no change in readiness posture. Bills “No Nuclear Testing Act of 2025” (S. 3090, 2025-10-30) and “No Nuclear Testing Without Approval Act” (S. 3106 / H.R. 5951) were introduced in response — introduction only.
  • Searched: Federal Register full text “nuclear test readiness” (0); fr-presdocu/presidential-actions titles for “nuclear test” (none); FY2026 NDAA text “test readiness” (3 hits, all the reporting requirement).
Action
restore
Object
nuclear test readiness at the Nevada National Security Site
ID
259