Ending Nuclear Testing

Ending Nuclear Testing

The history of nuclear testing began early on the morning of 16 July 1945 at a desert test site in Alamogordo, New Mexico when the United States exploded its first atomic bomb. Designated as the Trinity Site, this initial test was the culmination of years of scientific research under the banner of the so-called “Manhattan Project”.

In the five decades between that fateful day in 1945 and the opening for signature of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) in 1996, over 2,000 nuclear tests were carried out all over the world.

• The United States conducted 1,032 tests between 1945 and 1992.
• The Soviet Union carried out 715 tests between 1949 and 1990.
• The United Kingdom carried out 45 tests between 1952 and 1991.
• France carried out 210 tests between 1960 and 1996.
• China carried out 45 tests between 1964 and 1996.

In the five decades between 1945 and 1996, over 2,000 nuclear tests were carried out all over the world.

After the CTBT was opened for signature in September 1996, 10 nuclear tests have been conducted:  

• India conducted two tests in 1998 (India had also conducted one so-called peaceful nuclear explosion in 1974.)
• Pakistan conducted two tests in 1998.
• The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea conducted nuclear tests in 2006, 2009, 2013 and 2016.

Breaking the de facto moratorium

About nine nuclear tests were conducted between 1998 and 2016: two by India and two by Pakistan in 1998 and five by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in 2006, 2009, 2013, and two in 2016, thus breaking the de facto moratorium that the CTBT had established.

India conducted two underground nuclear tests, code-named “Shakti (Power) ‘98”, on 11 and 13 May 1998 at its Pokhran underground testing site. In contrast to India’s initial nuclear test in 1974, this time there were no claims that these were “peaceful tests”. On the contrary, government officials were quick to emphasize the military nature of the explosions.

A scant two weeks later, Pakistan reacted, conducting two underground nuclear tests at its Ras Koh range.

Both India and Pakistan immediately moved to announce unilateral moratoriums on nuclear testing and have conducted no nuclear tests since 1998. To read more about the 1998 tests conducted by India and Pakistan, see The Treaty: History.

The announced nuclear test by the DPRK on 9 October 2006 broke the eighth-year-long de facto moratorium and was against the letter and spirit of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.

This was followed by four more tests in 2009, 2013, and January and September of 2016. These tests were met with near unanimous global expressions of concern. The UN Security Council strongly condemned them as clear threats to international peace and security. To read more about the DPRK’s nuclear tests and the CTBTO findings in connection with this declared test.

See an approximate overview of all nuclear testing to date, as well as the CTBT status of the countries that have conducted nuclear tests. See also map.

Types of Nuclear Tests

Nuclear explosions have been detonated in all environments: above ground, underground and underwater. Bombs have been detonated on top of towers, onboard barges, suspended from balloons, on the earth's surface, underwater to depths of 600m, underground to depths of more than 2,400m and in horizontal tunnels. Test bombs have been dropped by aircraft and fired by rockets up to 200 miles into the atmosphere.

Atmospheric testing