Kilo vs Seawolf

The Kilo and the Seawolf are both Submarine classes. The Seawolf displaces 8,600 tons — 3.7x the Kilo's 2,325 tons. The Kilo reaches 17 knots vs 18 knots for the Seawolf. Operational range is 6,000 nautical miles for the Kilo vs 99,999 for the Seawolf. The Kilo carries a crew of 52 vs 140 for the Seawolf. Submerged displacement is 3,075 tons for the Kilo vs 9,138 tons for the Seawolf. The Seawolf can dive to 490 m compared to 300 m for the Kilo. The Kilo was produced in 75 units vs 3 for the Seawolf. Cost per hull is $200M for the Kilo vs $3,000M for the Seawolf. The Kilo was commissioned in 1980, 17 years before the Seawolf (1997).

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
American nuclear attack submarine, entered service in 1997, uses a pump-jet propeller.
Profile of Seawolf
Origin 🇺🇸 United States
Category Submarine
Type Nuclear attack submarine
Manufacturer General Dynamics Electric Boat
Year introduced 1997
Number built 3 units
Estimated unit price $3,000 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 8,600 tons
Maximum speed 18.0 knots
Range Unlimited
Length 108.0 m
Beam 12.0 m
Crew 140
Max depth 490 m
Propulsion 1 S6W PWR 220 MW (300,000 hp), 1 secondary propulsion submerged motor, 2 steam turbines 57,000 shp (43 MW), 1 shaft, 1 pump-jet propeller
Armament
  • 8 x 26.5-inch torpedo tubes
  • Tomahawk land attack missile
  • Harpoon anti-ship missile
  • Mk 48 guided torpedo

Performance Radar Chart

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has greater displacement, the Kilo-class or Seawolf-class?
The Seawolf-class has greater displacement at 8,600 tons compared to the Kilo-class's 2,325 tons.
Which is faster, the Kilo-class or Seawolf-class?
The Seawolf-class is faster with a maximum speed of 18 knots compared to the Kilo-class's 17 knots.
Which has longer range, the Kilo-class or Seawolf-class?
The Seawolf-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 Seawolf-class?
The Seawolf-class is longer at 108.0 meters compared to the Kilo-class's 72.6 meters.
How many crew members do the Kilo-class and Seawolf-class have?
The Seawolf-class has a larger crew complement of 140 compared to the Kilo-class's 52 crew members.
Which can dive deeper, the Kilo-class or Seawolf-class?
The Seawolf-class can dive deeper with a maximum depth of 490 meters compared to the Kilo-class's 300 meters.
Which is more expensive, the Kilo-class or Seawolf-class?
The Seawolf-class is more expensive at approximately $3.0 billion per unit compared to the Kilo-class at $200 million.
Which has been built in greater numbers, the Kilo-class or Seawolf-class?
The Kilo-class has been built in greater numbers with 75 vessels compared to 3 vessels of the Seawolf-class.