Admiral: 'No Condition' Now for US to Test Nukes

The military admiral in charge of America's nuclear weapons said Thursday there's no need for the United States to conduct a nuclear test right now.

According to The Hill, Adm. Charles Richard, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee and discussed, among other things, the nuclear arsenal.

"At this time, there is no condition — nothing has changed, right — there is no condition where I would recommend the need for nuclear testing," he said.

"But I would say though that it is important for the nation to maintain an ability to do a nuclear test should an issue arise in the future, and I've been formally documented in making that recommendation."

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are working on finalizing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), of which there are two distinct versions: the Senate bill includes $10 million related to nuclear testing, while the House bill prevents money being used for that purpose.

The U.S. last conducted a nuclear test explosion in 1992, and The Washington Post reported in May that the Trump administration has discussed conducting another one.

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