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Anuclear depth bomb is thenuclear equivalent of a conventionaldepth charge, and can be used inanti-submarine warfare for attacking submergedsubmarines. TheRoyal Navy,Soviet Navy, andUnited States Navy all had nuclear depth bombs in their arsenals at one point.

Due to the use of a nuclear warhead of much greater explosivepower than that of theconventional depth charge, the nuclear depth bomb considerably increases the likelihood (to the point of near certainty) of the destruction of the attacked submarine.

Some aircraft were cleared for using these, such as theP2V Neptune, but none were used against any submarines.

Because of this much greater power some nuclear depth bombs feature avariable yield, whereby the explosive energy of the device may be varied between a low setting for use in shallow or coastal waters, and a high yield for deep water open-sea use. This is intended to minimise damage to peripheral areas and merchantshipping.

During theFalklands War, Britain's naval task forcecarried 31 nuclear depth charges.HMSHermes had 18,HMSInvincible had 12 andRFARegent had one by mid-May 1982. The ships were within the "total exclusion zone" imposed by Britain around the Falkland Islands. Details of the number of devices per ship were contained in a file marked "Top Secret Atomic" found at theUK National Archives by media outletDeclassified UK.^[1]

All nuclear anti-submarine weapons were withdrawn from service by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States in or around 1990.^{[citation needed]} They were replaced by conventional weapons such as theMk 54 Torpedo that provided ever-increasing accuracy and range as anti-submarine warfare technology improved.

• RPK-6 Vodopad/RPK-7 Veter (1981–present)
• Ikara
• WE.177 (1966–1998)
• Mark 90 nuclear bomb (1952–1960)
• W34 forMk 101 Lulu (1958–1971)
• W34 forMk 105 Hotpoint (1958–1965)
• B57 nuclear bomb (1963–1993)
• B90 nuclear bomb (cancelled)
• W44 forRUR-5 ASROC (1961–1989)
• W55 forUUM-44 SUBROC (1964–1989)
• W89 forUUM-125 Sea Lance (cancelled)

• Underwater explosion
• Shock factor
• Nuclear torpedo

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