Arihant vs Vanguard

Overview

The Arihant and the Vanguard are both Submarine classes.

The Vanguard displaces 15,900 tons — 2.6x the Arihant's 6,000 tons. The Arihant reaches 15 knots vs 15 knots for the Vanguard. Operational range is 99,999 nautical miles for the Arihant vs 99,999 for the Vanguard. The Arihant carries a crew of 95 vs 135 for the Vanguard. Submerged displacement is 7,000 tons for the Arihant vs 15,900 tons for the Vanguard. The Arihant can dive to 450 m compared to 300 m for the Vanguard.

The Arihant was produced in 4 units vs 4 for the Vanguard. Cost per hull is $470M for the Arihant vs $4,800M for the Vanguard. The Arihant was commissioned in 2016, 23 years after the Vanguard (1993).

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

Vanguard

British submarine, introduced in 1993, propelled by a Rolls-Royce PWR2 nuclear reactor.
Origin 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Category Submarine
Type Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine
Manufacturer Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering
Year introduced 1993
Number built 4 units
Estimated unit price $4,800 million
View full Vanguard 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

Vanguard

Displacement 15,900 tons ◉
Maximum speed 15.0 knots ◉
Range Unlimited ◉
Length 149.9 m ◉
Beam 12.8 m ◉
Crew 135 ◉
Max depth 300 m ◉
Propulsion 1 × Rolls-Royce PWR2 nuclear reactor, 2 × GEC turbines; 27,500 shp (20.5 MW), 1 × shaft, pump jet propulsor, 2 × auxiliary retractable propulsion motors, 2 × Allen turbo generators (6 MW), 2 × Paxman diesel alternators; 2,700 shp (2.0 MW)
Armament
  • 4 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes for Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes
  • 16 × ballistic missile tubes for Lockheed Trident II D5 SLBMs

Performance Radar Chart

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has greater displacement, the Arihant-class or Vanguard-class?
The Vanguard-class has greater displacement at 15,900 tons compared to the Arihant-class's 6,000 tons.
Which is faster, the Arihant-class or Vanguard-class?
The Vanguard-class is faster with a maximum speed of 15 knots compared to the Arihant-class's 15 knots.
Which has longer range, the Arihant-class or Vanguard-class?
Both the Arihant-class and Vanguard-class are nuclear-powered and have unlimited range, limited only by food supplies and crew endurance.
Which is longer, the Arihant-class or Vanguard-class?
The Vanguard-class is longer at 149.9 meters compared to the Arihant-class's 111.0 meters.
How many crew members do the Arihant-class and Vanguard-class have?
The Vanguard-class has a larger crew complement of 135 compared to the Arihant-class's 95 crew members.
Which can dive deeper, the Arihant-class or Vanguard-class?
The Arihant-class can dive deeper with a maximum depth of 450 meters compared to the Vanguard-class's 300 meters.
Which is more expensive, the Arihant-class or Vanguard-class?
The Vanguard-class is more expensive at approximately $4.8 billion per unit compared to the Arihant-class at $470 million.
Which has been built in greater numbers, the Arihant-class or Vanguard-class?
Both the Arihant-class and Vanguard-class have been built in equal numbers with 4 vessels each.

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