by Jack Phillips, Global Research:

Federal officials this week tested an explosion at the Nevada National Security Site that was led by the National Nuclear Security Administration, according to a statement.

on Wednesday, said the Department of Energy in a press release. It said that the reason for the test was to improve how military officials can detect low-yield nuclear blasts.

“These experiments advance our efforts to develop new technology in support of U.S. nuclear nonproliferation goals,” Corey Hinderstein, an agency deputy administrator, said in the release. “They will help reduce global nuclear threats by improving the detection of underground nuclear explosive tests.”