Arihant vs Improved Kilo

Overview

The Arihant and the Improved Kilo are both Submarine classes.

The Arihant displaces 6,000 tons — 2.6x the Improved Kilo's 2,325 tons. The Arihant reaches 15 knots vs 12 knots for the Improved Kilo. Operational range is 99,999 nautical miles for the Arihant vs 7,500 for the Improved Kilo. The Arihant carries a crew of 95 vs 52 for the Improved Kilo. Submerged displacement is 7,000 tons for the Arihant vs 3,075 tons for the Improved Kilo. The Arihant can dive to 450 m compared to 300 m for the Improved Kilo.

The Arihant was produced in 4 units vs 75 for the Improved Kilo. Cost per hull is $470M for the Arihant vs $200M for the Improved Kilo. The Arihant was commissioned in 2016, 36 years after the Improved Kilo (1980).

Arihant

Indian nuclear-powered submarine, introduced in 2016, displaces 6,000 tons and has a crew of 95.
Origin 🇮🇳 India
Category Submarine
Type Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine
Manufacturer Ship Building Centre (SBC)
Year introduced 2016
Number built 4 units
Estimated unit price $470 million
View full Arihant details

Improved Kilo

Russian attack submarine, introduced in 1980, uses diesel-electric propulsion.
Origin 🇷🇺 Russia
Category Submarine
Type Attack submarine
Manufacturer Rubin Design Bureau
Year introduced 1980
Number built 75 units
Estimated unit price $200 million
View full Improved Kilo details

Arihant

Displacement 6,000 tons ◉
Maximum speed 15.0 knots ◉
Range Unlimited ◉
Length 111.0 m ◉
Beam 11.0 m ◉
Crew 95 ◉
Max depth 450 m ◉
Propulsion 1 x CLWR-B1 pressurized water reactor (83 MW-100MW), 1 x shaft
Armament
  • 12 x K15 SLBM
  • 4 x K-4 SLBM
  • 24 x K15 SLBM
  • 8 x K-4 SLBM
  • 8 x K-5 SLBM
  • 6 x 21" (533 mm) torpedo tubes

Improved Kilo

Displacement 2,325 tons ◉
Maximum speed 12.0 knots ◉
Range 7,500 nm at 7 knots ◉
Length 72.6 m ◉
Beam 9.9 m ◉
Crew 52 ◉
Max depth 300 m ◉
Propulsion Diesel-electric propulsion; 2 × 1000 kW diesel generators; 1 × 5,500–6,800 shp (4,100–5,100 kW) propulsion motor; 1 × fixed-pitch 6-bladed or 7-bladed propeller
Armament
  • 6 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes
  • 18 torpedoes
  • 4 Kalibr/Club land-attack cruise missile, anti-ship missile and anti-submarine missile (some versions)
  • 24 mines
  • 8 9K34 Strela-3 (SA-N-8 Gremlin) or 8 9K310 Igla-1 (SA-N-10 Gimlet) surface-to-air missiles

Performance Radar Chart

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has greater displacement, the Arihant-class or Improved Kilo-class?
The Arihant-class has greater displacement at 6,000 tons compared to the Improved Kilo-class's 2,325 tons.
Which is faster, the Arihant-class or Improved Kilo-class?
The Arihant-class is faster with a maximum speed of 15 knots compared to the Improved Kilo-class's 12 knots.
Which has longer range, the Arihant-class or Improved Kilo-class?
The Arihant-class is nuclear-powered with unlimited range, while the Improved Kilo-class has a range of 7,500 nautical miles.
Which is longer, the Arihant-class or Improved Kilo-class?
The Arihant-class is longer at 111.0 meters compared to the Improved Kilo-class's 72.6 meters.
How many crew members do the Arihant-class and Improved Kilo-class have?
The Arihant-class has a larger crew complement of 95 compared to the Improved Kilo-class's 52 crew members.
Which can dive deeper, the Arihant-class or Improved Kilo-class?
The Arihant-class can dive deeper with a maximum depth of 450 meters compared to the Improved Kilo-class's 300 meters.
Which is more expensive, the Arihant-class or Improved Kilo-class?
The Arihant-class is more expensive at approximately $470 million per unit compared to the Improved Kilo-class at $200 million.
Which has been built in greater numbers, the Arihant-class or Improved Kilo-class?
The Improved Kilo-class has been built in greater numbers with 75 vessels compared to 4 vessels of the Arihant-class.

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