Akula vs Romeo

The Akula and the Romeo are both Submarine classes. The Akula displaces 8,140 tons — 5.5x the Romeo's 1,475 tons. The Akula reaches 10 knots vs 15 knots for the Romeo. Operational range is 99,999 nautical miles for the Akula vs 9,000 for the Romeo. The Akula carries a crew of 73 vs 54 for the Romeo. Submerged displacement is 12,770 tons for the Akula vs 1,830 tons for the Romeo. The Akula was produced in 15 units vs 133 for the Romeo. The Akula was commissioned in 1984, 27 years after the Romeo (1957).

Soviet nuclear attack submarine, introduced in 1984, displaces 8,140 tons and has a crew of 73.
Profile of Akula
Origin 🇨🇳 Ex-USSR
Category Submarine
Type Nuclear attack submarine
Manufacturer Komsomolsk-on-Amur
Year introduced 1984
Number built 15 units
Estimated unit price $1,550 million
Ex-USSR diesel-electric submarine, introduced in 1957, with 133 units built.
Profile of Romeo
Origin 🇨🇳 Ex-USSR
Category Submarine
Type Diesel-electric submarine
Manufacturer Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard
Year introduced 1957
Number built 133 units
Estimated unit price NA
Displacement 8,140 tons
Maximum speed 10.0 knots
Range Unlimited
Length 110.3 m
Beam 13.6 m
Crew 73
Max depth 600 m
Propulsion one 190 MW OK-650B/OK-650M pressurized water nuclear reactor, 1 OK-7 steam turbine 43,000 hp (32 MW), 2 OK-2 Turbo generators producing 2 MW, 1 seven-bladed propeller, 2 OK-300 retractable electric propulsors
Armament
  • 4 x 533 mm torpedo tubes (28 torpedoes)
  • 4 x 650 mm torpedo tubes (12 torpedoes)
  • 1–3 x Igla-M surface-to-air missile launcher
  • Granat cruise missiles
  • Kalibr cruise missiles
  • Type 53 torpedoes
  • RPK-2 missile
  • RPK-6 missile
  • Type 65 torpedoes
  • RPK-7 missile
  • Naval mines
Displacement 1,475 tons
Maximum speed 15.0 knots
Range 9,000 nm at 9 knots
Length 76.6 m
Beam 6.7 m
Crew 54
Max depth NA
Propulsion Two diesels delivering 2.94 MW (4000 shp) with two electric motors driving two shafts.
Armament
  • 8 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (six bow, two stern)
  • 14 × 533 mm (21 in) anti-ship or anti-submarine torpedoes (including Yu-4 and Yu-1)
  • 28 mines

Performance Radar Chart

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has greater displacement, the Akula-class or Romeo-class?
The Akula-class has greater displacement at 8,140 tons compared to the Romeo-class's 1,475 tons.
Which is faster, the Akula-class or Romeo-class?
The Romeo-class is faster with a maximum speed of 15 knots compared to the Akula-class's 10 knots.
Which has longer range, the Akula-class or Romeo-class?
The Akula-class is nuclear-powered with unlimited range, while the Romeo-class has a range of 9,000 nautical miles.
Which is longer, the Akula-class or Romeo-class?
The Akula-class is longer at 110.3 meters compared to the Romeo-class's 76.6 meters.
How many crew members do the Akula-class and Romeo-class have?
The Akula-class has a larger crew complement of 73 compared to the Romeo-class's 54 crew members.
Which has been built in greater numbers, the Akula-class or Romeo-class?
The Romeo-class has been built in greater numbers with 133 vessels compared to 15 vessels of the Akula-class.