Charlie vs Type 209

The Charlie and the Type 209 are both Submarine classes. The Charlie displaces 4,000 tons — 3.1x the Type 209's 1,285 tons. The Charlie reaches 20 knots vs 11 knots for the Type 209. Operational range is 99,999 nautical miles for the Charlie vs 11,000 for the Type 209. The Charlie carries a crew of 100 vs 36 for the Type 209. Submerged displacement is 4,900 tons for the Charlie vs 1,810 tons for the Type 209. The Type 209 can dive to 500 m compared to 400 m for the Charlie. The Charlie was produced in 17 units vs 68 for the Type 209. The Charlie was commissioned in 1967, 4 years before the Type 209 (1971).

Soviet nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine, introduced in 1967, utilized a pressurized water reactor for propulsion.
Origin 🇨🇳 Ex-USSR
Category Submarine
Type Nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine
Manufacturer Krasnoye Sormovo inland shipyard
Year introduced 1967
Number built 17 units
Estimated unit price NA
German diesel-electric submarine, introduced in 1971, displaces 1,285 tons.
Origin 🇩🇪 Germany
Category Submarine
Type Diesel-electric attack submarines
Manufacturer Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft
Year introduced 1971
Number built 68 units
Estimated unit price $285 million
Displacement 4,000 tons
Maximum speed 20.0 knots
Range Unlimited
Length 95.0 m
Beam 10.0 m
Crew 100
Max depth 400 m
Propulsion 1 pressurized water-cooled reactor powering 2 steam turbines delivering 11,185 kW (14,999 shp) to 1 shaft
Armament
  • 6 x 533 mm (21 in) tubes
  • 12 torpedoes
  • 8 x P-70 Ametist anti-ship missiles (Charlie I)
  • 8 x P-120 Malakhit anti-ship missiles (Charlie II)
  • 24 AMD-1000 ground mines
Displacement 1,285 tons
Maximum speed 11.0 knots
Range 11,000 nm at 10 knots
Length 64.4 m
Beam 6.5 m
Crew 36
Max depth 500 m
Propulsion Diesel-electric, 4 diesels, 1 shaft, 6,100 shp (4,500 kW)
Armament
  • 8 x 533 mm torpedo tubes
  • 14 torpedoes
  • UGM-84 Harpoon missiles
  • SeaHake mod 4 torpedoes
  • SUT torpedoes
  • SST torpedoes
  • Mark 24 Tigerfish torpedoes
  • DM2A3 torpedoes
  • Blackshark torpedoes
  • A184 mod. 3 torpedoes
  • DM2A4 torpedoes
  • Mark 37 torpedoes
  • Mark 48 torpedoes
  • Mines

Performance Radar Chart

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has greater displacement, the Charlie-class or Type 209-class?
The Charlie-class has greater displacement at 4,000 tons compared to the Type 209-class's 1,285 tons.
Which is faster, the Charlie-class or Type 209-class?
The Charlie-class is faster with a maximum speed of 20 knots compared to the Type 209-class's 11 knots.
Which has longer range, the Charlie-class or Type 209-class?
The Charlie-class is nuclear-powered with unlimited range, while the Type 209-class has a range of 11,000 nautical miles.
Which is longer, the Charlie-class or Type 209-class?
The Charlie-class is longer at 95.0 meters compared to the Type 209-class's 64.4 meters.
How many crew members do the Charlie-class and Type 209-class have?
The Charlie-class has a larger crew complement of 100 compared to the Type 209-class's 36 crew members.
Which can dive deeper, the Charlie-class or Type 209-class?
The Type 209-class can dive deeper with a maximum depth of 500 meters compared to the Charlie-class's 400 meters.
Which has been built in greater numbers, the Charlie-class or Type 209-class?
The Type 209-class has been built in greater numbers with 68 vessels compared to 17 vessels of the Charlie-class.