The recent statement by US President Donald Trump about the possible resumption of nuclear tests generated questions about their real need and technical basis.
According to an analysis by Gunther Rudzit, professor of International Relations at ESPM, during his participation in the WW, the proposal demonstrates more a manifestation of ego than a legitimate military demand.
For Rudzit, the United States does not need to undertake to develop new weapons. The country has already accumulated enough data from previous tests to allow efficient computer simulations to be carried out.
“They had already done so many tests, accumulated so much data that they can simulate them on computers, there are different ways of designing the explosion to destroy large targets like cities or more concentrated targets,” said Rudzit.
History and technological capacity
The expert highlights that the United States itself was the biggest defender of the agreement that banned nuclear tests during the 1990s.
The country, under the administration of Bill Clinton, recognized that it already had enough technology to develop new arsenals without the need for physical testing.
Computer simulations allow the United States to design different types of nuclear warheads, each tailored to specific targets.
Whether to reach large areas such as cities or more concentrated targets such as missile silos, the Americans are able to develop and improve their arsenal through virtual technology, dispensing with practical tests.
“[…] every new weapon that they (USA) wanted to design, they wouldn’t need to test it, do it computationally. Therefore, for him to say that he is going to take the test again is simply ego, but not necessarily an effective military city”, added the professor.
