OVERVIEW: The Nuclear Depth Charge (10kt) is an unguided, air-delivered underwater weapon designed for anti-submarine warfare using a low-yield nuclear detonation. It is intended to destroy submerged submarines by producing a massive underwater shockwave and thermal pulse.

DETAILS: Nuclear depth charges were developed during the Cold War by multiple nuclear powers, including the United States and the Soviet Union, to address the threat posed by deep-diving submarines. Typically dropped from maritime patrol aircraft or helicopters, these weapons used fission warheads with yields commonly ranging from 5 to 20 kilotons. Upon release, the weapon sinks and detonates at a preset depth, using hydrostatic or time-delay fuzes. A 10kt yield was standard for mid-range area effect, sufficient to destroy or disable submarines within a wide underwater radius.

FUNCTION: After aerial deployment, the device descends into the ocean and detonates at a set depth, producing a high-energy underwater blast. The explosion's shockwave and pressure effects are lethal to submarines within a large radius, regardless of precise targeting.

NOTE:
IOC: 1958 (first nuclear depth charge), 1960s (10kt variants in active service)
Operators: United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, France, China
Platforms: Mi-14, Tu-142, Il-38, P-3 Orion, S-3 Viking, Nimrod MR.2, Ka-25PL, SH-3 Sea King
Conflict used in: None (deployed widely during Cold War, but never used in combat)

SOURCE:
Federation of American Scientists (FAS): https://fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/asw/index.html ; Nuclear Weapons Databook Vol. I–V ; Jane’s Weapons: Air-Launched ; National Museum of the U.S. Air Force: https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil ; Russian Ministry of Defense Archives ; U.S. Department of Energy Historical Records