Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty: Background and Current Developments

Abstract

A comprehensive nuclear-test-ban treaty (CTBT) is the oldest item on the nuclear arms control agenda. Three treaties currently bar all but underground tests with a maximum force equal to 150,000 tons of TNT. The Natural Resources Defense Council states the United States conducted 1,030 nuclear tests, the Soviet Union 715, the United Kingdom 45, France 210, and China 45. The last U.S. test was held in 1992; Russia claims it has not tested since 1990. In 1998, India and Pakistan announced several nuclear tests. Each declared a test moratorium; neither has signed the CTBT. North Korea conducted a nuclear test in 2006. Since 1997, the United States has held 23 "subcritical experiments" at the Nevada Test Site to study how plutonium behaves under pressures generated by explosives. It asserts these experiments do not violate the CTBT because they cannot produce a self-sustaining chain reaction. Russia reportedly held some since 1998.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 18, 2008
Accession Number
ADA487037

Entities

People

  • Jonathan E. Medalia

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter WMD
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Arms Control
  • Arms Control Treaties
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Department Of State
  • European Union
  • Explosives
  • Foreign Relations
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • International Organizations
  • International Relations
  • Law
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Nuclear Bombs
  • Nuclear Energy
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Treaties

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP).
  • Nuclear Non-Proliferation and International Security