President Trump Instructs Pentagon To Conduct Nuclear Weapons Test

JAKARTA - United States President Donald Trump said he had instructed the Department of War (formerly the Department of Defense) to immediately resume nuclear weapons tests on the basis of "equality" with other nuclear countries.

"Since other countries are testing the program, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our nuclear weapons on the same footing. That process will begin soon," wrote President Trump at Truth Social, ahead of a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.

"Russia is in second place, and China is in third place, but it will be the same in 5 years," President Trump continued.

Earlier, President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday Russia had successfully tested the Poseidon nuclear-powered super torpedo which military analysts said was capable of destroying coastal areas by triggering large radioactive sea waves.

While President Trump has tightened his rhetoric and attitude towards Russia, President Putin has publicly showcased his nuclear power with a new Burevestnik cruise missile test on October 21 and a nuclear launch exercise on October 22.

The United States itself was last known to conduct a nuclear weapons test in 1992.

To note, the trial provides evidence of what new nuclear weapons can do and whether old weapons are still functioning.

In addition to providing technical data, such trials will be seen in Russia and China as intentional affirmations of US strategic forces.

The United States opened the nuclear era in July 1945 with a 20 kiloton atomic bomb test in Alamogordo, New Mexico, and then dropped an atomic bomb in Hiroshima andmen in Japan in August 1945 to end the Second World War.