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Astute vs Son Won-il

Astute submarine side profile drawing
🇬🇧 Astute
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Specifications
Astute Son Won-il
Origin 🇬🇧 United Kingdom 🇩🇪 Germany
Category Submarine Submarine
Type Nuclear-powered attack submarine Diesel-electric submarine
Manufacturer BAE Systems Submarines Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft
Year introduced 2010 2007
Number built 6 units 16 units
Estimated unit price $2,112 million $330 million
Displacement 7,400 tons 1,690 tons
Maximum speed 10.0 knots 12.0 knots
Range Unlimited 12,000 nm
Length 97.0 m 65.0 m
Beam 11.3 m 6.3 m
Crew 98 27
Max depth 300 m 400 m
Performance Radar Chart
Armament & Systems
Astute Son Won-il
Armament
  • 6 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
  • Tomahawk Block IV cruise missiles
  • Spearfish heavyweight torpedoes
  • 8 × 533 mm torpedo tubes
  • 4 Sub-Harpoon missile-capable
Propulsion 1 × Rolls-Royce PWR2 nuclear reactor; MTU 600 kilowatt diesel generators Diesel–electric, fuel cell AIP, low-noise skew back propeller; 2 × MTU 16V-396 (3.96 MW) diesel engines; 1 × Siemens Permasyn (2.85 MW) electric motor

Overview

The Astute and the Son Won-il are both Submarine classes.

The Astute displaces 7,400 tons — 4.4x the Son Won-il's 1,690 tons. The Astute reaches 10 knots vs 12 knots for the Son Won-il. Operational range is 99,999 nautical miles for the Astute vs 12,000 for the Son Won-il. The Astute carries a crew of 98 vs 27 for the Son Won-il. Submerged displacement is 7,800 tons for the Astute vs 1,860 tons for the Son Won-il. The Son Won-il can dive to 400 m compared to 300 m for the Astute.

The Astute was produced in 6 units vs 16 for the Son Won-il. Cost per hull is $2,112M for the Astute vs $330M for the Son Won-il. The Astute was commissioned in 2010, 3 years after the Son Won-il (2007).

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which has greater displacement, the Astute-class or Son Won-il-class?
The Astute-class has greater displacement at 7,400 tons compared to the Son Won-il-class's 1,690 tons.
Which is faster, the Astute-class or Son Won-il-class?
The Son Won-il-class is faster with a maximum speed of 12 knots compared to the Astute-class's 10 knots.
Which has longer range, the Astute-class or Son Won-il-class?
The Astute-class is nuclear-powered with unlimited range, while the Son Won-il-class has a range of 12,000 nautical miles.
Which is longer, the Astute-class or Son Won-il-class?
The Astute-class is longer at 97.0 meters compared to the Son Won-il-class's 65.0 meters.
How many crew members do the Astute-class and Son Won-il-class have?
The Astute-class has a larger crew complement of 98 compared to the Son Won-il-class's 27 crew members.
Which can dive deeper, the Astute-class or Son Won-il-class?
The Son Won-il-class can dive deeper with a maximum depth of 400 meters compared to the Astute-class's 300 meters.
Which is more expensive, the Astute-class or Son Won-il-class?
The Astute-class is more expensive at approximately $2.1 billion per unit compared to the Son Won-il-class at $330 million.
Which has been built in greater numbers, the Astute-class or Son Won-il-class?
The Son Won-il-class has been built in greater numbers with 16 vessels compared to 6 vessels of the Astute-class.