Kilo vs Papa

The Kilo and the Papa are both Submarine classes. The Papa displaces 5,197 tons — 2.2x the Kilo's 2,325 tons. The Kilo reaches 17 knots vs 25 knots for the Papa. Operational range is 6,000 nautical miles for the Kilo vs 99,999 for the Papa. The Kilo carries a crew of 52 vs 82 for the Papa. Submerged displacement is 3,075 tons for the Kilo vs 7,000 tons for the Papa. The Papa can dive to 400 m compared to 300 m for the Kilo. The Kilo was produced in 75 units vs 1 for the Papa. The Kilo was commissioned in 1980, 10 years after the Papa (1970).

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
Ex-USSR submarine, introduced in 1970, displaces 5,197 tons, propelled by two nuclear reactors.
Profile of Papa
Origin 🇨🇳 Ex-USSR
Category Submarine
Type Nuclear-powered cruise-missile submarine
Manufacturer Sevmash
Year introduced 1970
Number built 1 unit
Estimated unit price NA
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 5,197 tons
Maximum speed 25.0 knots
Range Unlimited
Length 106.9 m
Beam 11.5 m
Crew 82
Max depth 400 m
Propulsion 2 × VM-5 nuclear reactors; 2 × shafts; 2 × steam turbines producing 80,000 PS (59,000 kW)
Armament
  • 10 × SS-N-7 Starbright (P-70) cruise missiles
  • 4 × 533 mm (21 in) bow torpedo tubes

Performance Radar Chart

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has greater displacement, the Kilo-class or Papa-class?
The Papa-class has greater displacement at 5,197 tons compared to the Kilo-class's 2,325 tons.
Which is faster, the Kilo-class or Papa-class?
The Papa-class is faster with a maximum speed of 25 knots compared to the Kilo-class's 17 knots.
Which has longer range, the Kilo-class or Papa-class?
The Papa-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 Papa-class?
The Papa-class is longer at 106.9 meters compared to the Kilo-class's 72.6 meters.
How many crew members do the Kilo-class and Papa-class have?
The Papa-class has a larger crew complement of 82 compared to the Kilo-class's 52 crew members.
Which can dive deeper, the Kilo-class or Papa-class?
The Papa-class can dive deeper with a maximum depth of 400 meters compared to the Kilo-class's 300 meters.
Which has been built in greater numbers, the Kilo-class or Papa-class?
The Kilo-class has been built in greater numbers with 75 vessels compared to 1 vessels of the Papa-class.