Delta III vs Kilo

The Delta III and the Kilo are both Submarine classes. The Delta III displaces 7,800 tons — 3.4x the Kilo's 2,325 tons. The Delta III reaches 12 knots vs 17 knots for the Kilo. Operational range is 99,999 nautical miles for the Delta III vs 6,000 for the Kilo. The Delta III carries a crew of 120 vs 52 for the Kilo. Submerged displacement is 10,000 tons for the Delta III vs 3,075 tons for the Kilo. The Delta III can dive to 320 m compared to 300 m for the Kilo. The Delta III was produced in 18 units vs 75 for the Kilo. The Delta III was commissioned in 1972, 8 years before the Kilo (1980).

Soviet ballistic missile submarine, 7,800 tons displacement, powered by two nuclear reactors.
Profile of Delta III
Origin 🇨🇳 Ex-USSR
Category Submarine
Type Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine
Manufacturer Komsomolsk-on-Amur
Year introduced 1972
Number built 18 units
Estimated unit price NA
Ex-USSR Kilo submarine, introduced in 1980, utilizes diesel-electric propulsion.
Profile of Kilo
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 7,800 tons
Maximum speed 12.0 knots
Range Unlimited
Length 139.0 m
Beam 12.0 m
Crew 120
Max depth 320 m
Propulsion 2 pressurized water-cooled reactors powering 2 steam turbines driving 2 shafts and each developing 38.7 MW (51,900 shp)
Armament
  • D-9 launch tubes for 12 R-29 (SS-N-8 Sawfly) SLBMs
  • 4 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes
  • 2 × 400 mm (16 in) 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 Delta III-class or Kilo-class?
The Delta III-class has greater displacement at 7,800 tons compared to the Kilo-class's 2,325 tons.
Which is faster, the Delta III-class or Kilo-class?
The Kilo-class is faster with a maximum speed of 17 knots compared to the Delta III-class's 12 knots.
Which has longer range, the Delta III-class or Kilo-class?
The Delta III-class is nuclear-powered with unlimited range, while the Kilo-class has a range of 6,000 nautical miles.
Which is longer, the Delta III-class or Kilo-class?
The Delta III-class is longer at 139.0 meters compared to the Kilo-class's 72.6 meters.
How many crew members do the Delta III-class and Kilo-class have?
The Delta III-class has a larger crew complement of 120 compared to the Kilo-class's 52 crew members.
Which can dive deeper, the Delta III-class or Kilo-class?
The Delta III-class can dive deeper with a maximum depth of 320 meters compared to the Kilo-class's 300 meters.
Which has been built in greater numbers, the Delta III-class or Kilo-class?
The Kilo-class has been built in greater numbers with 75 vessels compared to 18 vessels of the Delta III-class.