President Donald Trump has ordered the Defense Department to begin testing nuclear weapons, marking the first time the U. S. will do so since 1992.
This announcement, made while he was in South Korea, could result in billions of dollars in contracts for companies specializing in nuclear weapons infrastructure. The U. S. nuclear arsenal includes land-based missiles, submarines, and aircraft equipped with nuclear weapons, but it is unclear which parts will be tested.
Specialized companies like Honeywell International, BWX Technologies, and General Atomic Technologies could benefit from this move as they focus on nuclear test site construction and engineering services. Honeywell runs a key testing site while BWXT manages nuclear materials. Experts believe that restarting nuclear weapons testing will lead to significant government funding for these companies.
In addition to testing, the U. S. is modernizing its intercontinental ballistic missile program, replacing the old Minuteman III missiles with new Sentinel missiles, with extensive testing planned during development.
With information from Reuters