Arihant vs Kilo

The Arihant and the Kilo are both Submarine classes. The Arihant displaces 6,000 tons — 2.6x the Kilo's 2,325 tons. The Arihant reaches 15 knots vs 17 knots for the Kilo. Operational range is 99,999 nautical miles for the Arihant vs 6,000 for the Kilo. The Arihant carries a crew of 95 vs 52 for the Kilo. Submerged displacement is 7,000 tons for the Arihant vs 3,075 tons for the Kilo. The Arihant can dive to 450 m compared to 300 m for the Kilo. The Arihant was produced in 4 units vs 75 for the Kilo. Cost per hull is $470M for the Arihant vs $200M for the Kilo. The Arihant was commissioned in 2016, 36 years after the Kilo (1980).

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
Ex-USSR Kilo submarine, introduced in 1980, utilizes diesel-electric propulsion.
Origin 🇨🇳 Ex-USSR
Category Submarine
Type Attack submarine
Manufacturer Rubin Design Bureau
Year introduced 1980
Number built 75 units
Estimated unit price $200 million
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
Displacement 2,325 tons
Maximum speed 17.0 knots
Range 6,000 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 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
  • 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 Kilo-class?
The Arihant-class has greater displacement at 6,000 tons compared to the Kilo-class's 2,325 tons.
Which is faster, the Arihant-class or Kilo-class?
The Kilo-class is faster with a maximum speed of 17 knots compared to the Arihant-class's 15 knots.
Which has longer range, the Arihant-class or Kilo-class?
The Arihant-class is nuclear-powered with unlimited range, while the Kilo-class has a range of 6,000 nautical miles.
Which is longer, the Arihant-class or Kilo-class?
The Arihant-class is longer at 111.0 meters compared to the Kilo-class's 72.6 meters.
How many crew members do the Arihant-class and Kilo-class have?
The Arihant-class has a larger crew complement of 95 compared to the Kilo-class's 52 crew members.
Which can dive deeper, the Arihant-class or Kilo-class?
The Arihant-class can dive deeper with a maximum depth of 450 meters compared to the Kilo-class's 300 meters.
Which is more expensive, the Arihant-class or Kilo-class?
The Arihant-class is more expensive at approximately $470 million per unit compared to the Kilo-class at $200 million.
Which has been built in greater numbers, the Arihant-class or Kilo-class?
The Kilo-class has been built in greater numbers with 75 vessels compared to 4 vessels of the Arihant-class.