Abstract: Underwater explosion(UNDEX)will cause severe damage to ship structures and endanger the survivability and combat capability of the ship, which is a widely challenging problem in both academic and engineering fields. UNDEX loads include shock wave load and bubble load. The shock wave and bubble would cause different patterns of damages to ship structures. The researchers have carried out a great deal of work in UNDEX loads and its damage to nearby structures for decades, and abundant progress and fruitful achievements have been made. But up till now, many difficult mechanical problems remain unsolved due to the difficulty and complexity of these problems. In this paper, the recent developments on UNDEX loads and their damage to ship structures are reviewed in theoretical, numerical and experimental studies. And the research work which needs to be focused on in the future is also given, which aims to provide reference and support for the study of UNDEX and its damage to ship structures.