聶榮臻是中共「十大元帥」之一。中共建國後，他長期主管科學技術與尖端武器—導彈與原子彈的發展，故他有別於一般行政官僚，帶有濃厚技術官僚的色彩。 一九五０年代中期，中共中央做出發展原子彈與導彈的戰略決策後，聶榮臻組織兩個系統領導。在軍內，聶榮臻領導航空工業委員會，並於其下設立第五研究院，專門負責研製導彈的任務。在軍外，聶榮臻以副總理的身分兼任科學規劃委員會主任，致力提升全國科學技術水準，為原子彈及導彈的製造提供有利發展的環境。一九五七年，聶榮臻率團至蘇聯談判，帶回〈國防新技術協定〉。在蘇聯的援助下，原子彈與導彈在各方面皆有進展。航空工業委員會擴大為國防科學技術委員會，科學規劃委員會改組為國家科學技術委員會，兩者皆由聶榮臻繼續領導。這兩個系統帶領軍內及軍外龐大的研究人員從事尖端武器「兩彈」的製造。 因應大躍進及中蘇交惡的影響，聶榮臻採取務實及獨立自主的發展方針。藉著中央專門委員會的高效率、集中式的領導，促使中共於一九六四年原子彈首爆成功及一九六六年導彈與原子彈結合實彈試射成功。中共從此成為具有核武攻擊力量的國家。雖然在六０年代初期，聶榮臻在尖端武器「兩彈」的決策權力曾一度被壓縮，但他仍是「兩彈」發展過程中最具影響力的人物之一。 Nie Rongzhen was one of the Ten Marshals of the People’s Liberation Army. Due to his merits during the civil war, he was then in charge of the development of high-tech weapons—atomic bombs and missiles, after the People’s Republic of China was established. And he put a lot of effort on the development of technology. During the mid-1950s, the authorities made a strategic decision on developing atomic bombs and missiles. Afterward Nie played an important role in the technical field. As vice-premier, he led the Aviation Industry Commission and its division the Fifth Academy working on missile research and production. He was also the director of the Scientific Planning Commission. He was devoted to upgrading the level of science that would benefit the production of missiles. In 1957, Nie led a delegation to the Soviet Union and had a negotiation with its government. They returned with the New Defense Technical Accord. With Soviet’s help, they made great headway in producing atomic bombs and missiles. At that time, the Aviation Industry Commission expanded into the Defense Science and Technology Commission; meanwhile, the Scientific Planning Commission was being reorganized into the State Science and Technology Commission. Both commissions, where a huge number of researchers were working on atomic bombs and missiles, were continuously led by Nie. Because of the Great Leap Forward and the deterioration of Sino-Soviet ties, Nie began to take practical and independent steps. By means of high effectiveness in the Central Special Commission, China succeeded in exploding its first atomic bomb in 1964 and in testing its nuclear warhead attached to the missile in 1966. Since then, China has become one of the countries possessing the power of attacking by nuclear weapons. Though his decisive influence on atomic bombs and missiles was once shrunk in the early 1960s, Nie was still one of the most influential persons in the process of developing atomic bombs and missiles.
