Kilo vs Los Angeles

The Kilo and the Los Angeles are both Submarine classes. The Los Angeles displaces 6,082 tons — 2.6x the Kilo's 2,325 tons. The Kilo reaches 17 knots vs 15 knots for the Los Angeles. Operational range is 6,000 nautical miles for the Kilo vs 99,999 for the Los Angeles. The Kilo carries a crew of 52 vs 129 for the Los Angeles. Submerged displacement is 3,075 tons for the Kilo vs 6,927 tons for the Los Angeles. The Los Angeles can dive to 450 m compared to 300 m for the Kilo. The Kilo was produced in 75 units vs 62 for the Los Angeles. Cost per hull is $200M for the Kilo vs $900M for the Los Angeles. The Kilo was commissioned in 1980, 4 years after the Los Angeles (1976).

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
United States nuclear attack submarine, introduced in 1976, displaced 6,082 tons.
Profile of Los Angeles
Origin 🇺🇸 United States
Category Submarine
Type Nuclear attack submarine
Manufacturer Newport News Shipbuilding
Year introduced 1976
Number built 62 units
Estimated unit price $900 million
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
Displacement 6,082 tons
Maximum speed 15.0 knots
Range Unlimited
Length 110.0 m
Beam 10.0 m
Crew 129
Max depth 450 m
Propulsion 1 × S6G nuclear reactor (150–165 MW), 2 × steam turbines (30,000–33,500) shp, 1 × shaft, 1 × secondary propulsion motor 325 hp (242 kW)
Armament
  • 4 × 21 in (533 mm) torpedo tubes
  • 37 × Mk 48 torpedo
  • Tomahawk land attack missile
  • Harpoon anti-ship missile
  • Mk 67 mobile mines
  • Mk 60 CAPTOR mines
  • 12-tube VLS (FLTII and 688i FLTIII)

Performance Radar Chart

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has greater displacement, the Kilo-class or Los Angeles-class?
The Los Angeles-class has greater displacement at 6,082 tons compared to the Kilo-class's 2,325 tons.
Which is faster, the Kilo-class or Los Angeles-class?
The Kilo-class is faster with a maximum speed of 17 knots compared to the Los Angeles-class's 15 knots.
Which has longer range, the Kilo-class or Los Angeles-class?
The Los Angeles-class is nuclear-powered with unlimited range, while the Kilo-class has a range of 6,000 nautical miles.
Which is longer, the Kilo-class or Los Angeles-class?
The Los Angeles-class is longer at 110.0 meters compared to the Kilo-class's 72.6 meters.
How many crew members do the Kilo-class and Los Angeles-class have?
The Los Angeles-class has a larger crew complement of 129 compared to the Kilo-class's 52 crew members.
Which can dive deeper, the Kilo-class or Los Angeles-class?
The Los Angeles-class can dive deeper with a maximum depth of 450 meters compared to the Kilo-class's 300 meters.
Which is more expensive, the Kilo-class or Los Angeles-class?
The Los Angeles-class is more expensive at approximately $900 million per unit compared to the Kilo-class at $200 million.
Which has been built in greater numbers, the Kilo-class or Los Angeles-class?
The Kilo-class has been built in greater numbers with 75 vessels compared to 62 vessels of the Los Angeles-class.