Improved Kilo vs Son Won-il

The Improved Kilo and the Son Won-il are both Submarine classes. Displacement is 2,325 tons for the Improved Kilo vs 1,690 tons for the Son Won-il. The Improved Kilo reaches 12 knots vs 12 knots for the Son Won-il. Operational range is 7,500 nautical miles for the Improved Kilo vs 12,000 for the Son Won-il. The Improved Kilo carries a crew of 52 vs 27 for the Son Won-il. Submerged displacement is 3,075 tons for the Improved Kilo vs 1,860 tons for the Son Won-il. The Son Won-il can dive to 400 m compared to 300 m for the Improved Kilo. The Improved Kilo was produced in 75 units vs 16 for the Son Won-il. Cost per hull is $200M for the Improved Kilo vs $330M for the Son Won-il. The Improved Kilo was commissioned in 1980, 27 years before the Son Won-il (2007).

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
German submarine, introduced in 2007, has a displacement of 1,690 tons and diesel-electric propulsion.
Origin 🇩🇪 Germany
Category Submarine
Type Diesel–electric submarine
Manufacturer Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft
Year introduced 2007
Number built 16 units
Estimated unit price $330 million
Displacement 2,325 tons â—‰
Maximum speed 12.0 knots â—‰
Range 7,500 nm at 7 knots â—‰
Length 72.6 m â—‰
Beam 9.9 m â—‰
Crew 52 â—‰
Max depth 300 m â—‰
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
Displacement 1,690 tons â—‰
Maximum speed 12.0 knots â—‰
Range 12,000 nm â—‰
Length 65.0 m â—‰
Beam 6.3 m â—‰
Crew 27 â—‰
Max depth 400 m â—‰
Propulsion 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
Armament
  • 8 × 533 mm torpedo tubes
  • 4 Sub-Harpoon missile-capable

Performance Radar Chart

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has greater displacement, the Improved Kilo-class or Son Won-il-class?
The Improved Kilo-class has greater displacement at 2,325 tons compared to the Son Won-il-class's 1,690 tons.
Which is faster, the Improved Kilo-class or Son Won-il-class?
The Son Won-il-class is faster with a maximum speed of 12 knots compared to the Improved Kilo-class's 12 knots.
Which has longer range, the Improved Kilo-class or Son Won-il-class?
The Son Won-il-class has a longer range at 12,000 nautical miles compared to the Improved Kilo-class's 7,500 nautical miles.
Which is longer, the Improved Kilo-class or Son Won-il-class?
The Improved Kilo-class is longer at 72.6 meters compared to the Son Won-il-class's 65.0 meters.
How many crew members do the Improved Kilo-class and Son Won-il-class have?
The Improved Kilo-class has a larger crew complement of 52 compared to the Son Won-il-class's 27 crew members.
Which can dive deeper, the Improved Kilo-class or Son Won-il-class?
The Son Won-il-class can dive deeper with a maximum depth of 400 meters compared to the Improved Kilo-class's 300 meters.
Which is more expensive, the Improved Kilo-class or Son Won-il-class?
The Son Won-il-class is more expensive at approximately $330 million per unit compared to the Improved Kilo-class at $200 million.
Which has been built in greater numbers, the Improved Kilo-class or Son Won-il-class?
The Improved Kilo-class has been built in greater numbers with 75 vessels compared to 16 vessels of the Son Won-il-class.