Ethan Allen vs Improved Kilo

The Ethan Allen and the Improved Kilo are both Submarine classes. The Ethan Allen displaces 7,057 tons — 3.0x the Improved Kilo's 2,325 tons. The Ethan Allen reaches 16 knots vs 12 knots for the Improved Kilo. Operational range is 99,999 nautical miles for the Ethan Allen vs 7,500 for the Improved Kilo. The Ethan Allen carries a crew of 140 vs 52 for the Improved Kilo. Submerged displacement is 8,011 tons for the Ethan Allen vs 3,075 tons for the Improved Kilo. The Ethan Allen can dive to 400 m compared to 300 m for the Improved Kilo. The Ethan Allen was produced in 5 units vs 75 for the Improved Kilo. The Ethan Allen was commissioned in 1961, 19 years before the Improved Kilo (1980).

American ballistic missile submarine, 7,057 tons displacement, introduced in 1961.
Origin 🇺🇸 United States
Category Submarine
Type Ballistic missile submarine
Manufacturer General Dynamics Electric Boat
Year introduced 1961
Number built 5 units
Estimated unit price NA
Russian attack submarine, introduced in 1980, uses diesel-electric propulsion.
Origin 🇷🇺 Russia
Category Submarine
Type Attack submarine
Manufacturer Rubin Design Bureau
Year introduced 1980
Number built 75 units
Estimated unit price $200 million
Displacement 7,057 tons
Maximum speed 16.0 knots
Range Unlimited
Length 125.1 m
Beam 10.1 m
Crew 140
Max depth 400 m
Propulsion 1 S5W PWR, 2 geared steam turbines (15,000 shp (11,000 kW)), 1 shaft
Armament
  • 16 Polaris A2/A3 missiles
  • 4 x 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes
  • 12 torpedoes
Displacement 2,325 tons
Maximum speed 12.0 knots
Range 7,500 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 (4,100–5,100 kW) 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 (some versions)
  • 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 Ethan Allen-class or Improved Kilo-class?
The Ethan Allen-class has greater displacement at 7,057 tons compared to the Improved Kilo-class's 2,325 tons.
Which is faster, the Ethan Allen-class or Improved Kilo-class?
The Ethan Allen-class is faster with a maximum speed of 16 knots compared to the Improved Kilo-class's 12 knots.
Which has longer range, the Ethan Allen-class or Improved Kilo-class?
The Ethan Allen-class is nuclear-powered with unlimited range, while the Improved Kilo-class has a range of 7,500 nautical miles.
Which is longer, the Ethan Allen-class or Improved Kilo-class?
The Ethan Allen-class is longer at 125.1 meters compared to the Improved Kilo-class's 72.6 meters.
How many crew members do the Ethan Allen-class and Improved Kilo-class have?
The Ethan Allen-class has a larger crew complement of 140 compared to the Improved Kilo-class's 52 crew members.
Which can dive deeper, the Ethan Allen-class or Improved Kilo-class?
The Ethan Allen-class can dive deeper with a maximum depth of 400 meters compared to the Improved Kilo-class's 300 meters.
Which has been built in greater numbers, the Ethan Allen-class or Improved Kilo-class?
The Improved Kilo-class has been built in greater numbers with 75 vessels compared to 5 vessels of the Ethan Allen-class.