ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses how a more restrictive ban on nuclear testing-either a comprehensive test ban treaty, a low-yield threshold treaty, or a quota test ban treaty--might affect the development of current and future generation nuclear weapons and the potential consequences for strategic stability. It discusses the uses of nuclear and nonnuclear testing in developing new current generation warheads and warheads or other nuclear devices for future generation weapons. Nuclear testing is critical to the design and development of nuclear warheads because it provides detailed information on the performance of candidate designs that cannot be obtained in any other way. The types of future generation nuclear weapons receiving the most attention at present are those constituting the nuclear portion of the Strategic Defense Initiative. A Quota Treaty, which would allow a small number of tests per year, would slow the development of new warheads and would most severely restrict weapons that require the most testing.
