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Arihant vs Virginia

Virginia submarine side profile drawing
🇺🇸 Virginia
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Specifications
Arihant Virginia
Origin 🇮🇳 India 🇺🇸 United States
Category Submarine Submarine
Type Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine Nuclear-powered attack submarine
Manufacturer Ship Building Centre (SBC) General Dynamics Electric Boat
Year introduced 2016 2004
Number built 4 units 26 units
Estimated unit price $470 million $2,800 million
Displacement 6,000 tons 6,930 tons
Maximum speed 15.0 knots 15.0 knots
Range Unlimited Unlimited
Length 111.0 m 115.0 m
Beam 11.0 m 10.0 m
Crew 95 135
Max depth 450 m 240 m
Performance Radar Chart
Armament & Systems
Arihant Virginia
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
  • 12 x VLS tubes (Tomahawk cruise missiles)
  • 2 x Virginia payload tubes (12 x Tomahawk BGM-109)
  • 4 x Virginia payload modules (28 x Tomahawk BGM-109)
  • 4 x 21" torpedo tubes (Mk-48 torpedoes or UGM-84 Harpoon missiles)
Propulsion 1 x CLWR-B1 pressurized water reactor (83 MW-100MW), 1 x shaft 1 × S9G nuclear reactor 280,000 hp (210 MW); 2 × steam turbines 40,000 shp (30 MW); 1 × single shaft pump-jet propulsor; 1 × secondary propulsion motor

Overview

The Arihant and the Virginia are both Submarine classes.

Displacement is 6,000 tons for the Arihant vs 6,930 tons for the Virginia. The Arihant reaches 15 knots vs 15 knots for the Virginia. Operational range is 99,999 nautical miles for the Arihant vs 99,999 for the Virginia. The Arihant carries a crew of 95 vs 135 for the Virginia. Submerged displacement is 7,000 tons for the Arihant vs 7,900 tons for the Virginia. The Arihant can dive to 450 m compared to 240 m for the Virginia.

The Arihant was produced in 4 units vs 26 for the Virginia. Cost per hull is $470M for the Arihant vs $2,800M for the Virginia. The Arihant was commissioned in 2016, 12 years after the Virginia (2004).

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which has greater displacement, the Arihant-class or Virginia-class?
The Virginia-class has greater displacement at 6,930 tons compared to the Arihant-class's 6,000 tons.
Which is faster, the Arihant-class or Virginia-class?
The Virginia-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 Virginia-class?
Both the Arihant-class and Virginia-class are nuclear-powered and have unlimited range, limited only by food supplies and crew endurance.
Which is longer, the Arihant-class or Virginia-class?
The Virginia-class is longer at 115.0 meters compared to the Arihant-class's 111.0 meters.
How many crew members do the Arihant-class and Virginia-class have?
The Virginia-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 Virginia-class?
The Arihant-class can dive deeper with a maximum depth of 450 meters compared to the Virginia-class's 240 meters.
Which is more expensive, the Arihant-class or Virginia-class?
The Virginia-class is more expensive at approximately $2.8 billion per unit compared to the Arihant-class at $470 million.
Which has been built in greater numbers, the Arihant-class or Virginia-class?
The Virginia-class has been built in greater numbers with 26 vessels compared to 4 vessels of the Arihant-class.