Cessation of Nuclear-Weapon tests

Almost throughout the entire nuclear era, and certainly since the advent of the thermonuclear weapon in the early 1950s, the complete cessation of nuclear-weapon tests has been one of the prominent issues on the disarmament agenda. As with other new military technologies, however, the need perceived by certain Governments, in the interest of their security, to develop such weapons, to further refine them, or to prove the integrity of existing stocks by testing samples has so far worked against reaching a comprehensive test ban. Moreover, questions concerning nuclear explosions for peaceful purposes—whether such explosions can be of any practical or engineering use, what military benefits might be derived from them, and how they would be dealt with under a comprehensive ban—have complicated the issue.

Related Subject(s): Disarmament