Washington: Senior officials from the National Nuclear Security Administration and the Department of Energy are preparing to meet with the White House to urge President Donald J Trump not to move ahead with a return to full scale nuclear weapons testing.

The meeting follows the President’s recent public statement suggesting the United States should resume testing “on an equal basis” with Russia and China.

According to sources familiar with the discussions, the officials plan to explain that the United States does not need explosive nuclear tests to ensure the safety and reliability of its arsenal. They are expected to stress that modern computer simulations, laboratory experiments and non explosive system tests have effectively replaced traditional underground detonations.

Experts say the last full nuclear test by the United States took place in 1992, and restarting such operations would involve years of preparation, major funding and complex environmental and legal hurdles. Reopening the Nevada test site, restoring technical infrastructure and regaining specialised expertise would be time consuming and costly.

Officials also plan to warn that resuming explosive tests could unsettle long standing global norms, prompt other nuclear armed nations to conduct their own tests and increase international tensions. Analysts believe such a move could weaken global arms control efforts at a time of rising competition among major powers.

While President Trump has the authority to order testing, the upcoming meeting highlights a growing divide between political decisions and the technical realities of the U S nuclear program. The administration is expected to clarify whether it intends to pursue explosive testing or rely on the non explosive methods already in place.

Further developments are expected after the White House review, as both allies and rival nations closely watch the direction of U S nuclear policy.