"If the Soviets want to resume tests, as I understand that they do, let them resume tests," he said.

A13 Russia refused to join other countries in punishing India for resuming nuclear tests and has failed to register a strong diplomatic protest.

Repairs and alterations at the navy yard there took her into August, when she resumed tests and exercises in the Block Island-New London area.

In addition, the Soviet Union has resumed underground tests after an 18-month moratorium.

Russia today reaffirmed its refusal to join other countries in punishing India for resuming nuclear tests, and has so far failed to register an especially strong diplomatic protest.

She returned to Charleston on 1 February 1975 and resumed tests and inspections in preparation for her second deployment to European waters.

Though Britain, which joined Europe a decade later, has carefully refrained from saying anything critical about the decision to resume tests.

But Democrats opposed to more tests are urging the President to pledge instead that the United States will not be the first to resume nuclear tests.

Last week his defense advisers recommended that France resume underwater nuclear tests in the South Pacific, which have been suspended since 1992.

Mr. Chirac said he had no intention of retreating from his decision, announced Tuesday, to resume nuclear-weapons tests.