Kilo vs Virginia

The Kilo and the Virginia are both Submarine classes. The Virginia displaces 6,930 tons — 3.0x the Kilo's 2,325 tons. The Kilo reaches 17 knots vs 15 knots for the Virginia. Operational range is 6,000 nautical miles for the Kilo vs 99,999 for the Virginia. The Kilo carries a crew of 52 vs 135 for the Virginia. Submerged displacement is 3,075 tons for the Kilo vs 7,900 tons for the Virginia. The Kilo can dive to 300 m compared to 240 m for the Virginia. The Kilo was produced in 75 units vs 26 for the Virginia. Cost per hull is $200M for the Kilo vs $2,800M for the Virginia. The Kilo was commissioned in 1980, 24 years before the Virginia (2004).

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 submarine, introduced in 2004, utilizes a pump-jet propulsor.
Profile of Virginia
Origin 🇺🇸 United States
Category Submarine
Type Nuclear-powered attack submarine
Manufacturer General Dynamics Electric Boat
Year introduced 2004
Number built 26 units
Estimated unit price $2,800 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 6,930 tons
Maximum speed 15.0 knots
Range Unlimited
Length 115.0 m
Beam 10.0 m
Crew 135
Max depth 240 m
Propulsion 1 × S9G nuclear reactor 280,000 hp (210 MW); 2 × steam turbines 40,000 shp (30 MW); 1 × single shaft pump-jet propulsor; 1 × secondary propulsion motor
Armament
  • 12 x VLS tubes (Tomahawk cruise missiles)
  • 2 x Virginia payload tubes (12 x Tomahawk BGM-109)
  • 4 x Virginia payload modules (28 x Tomahawk BGM-109)
  • 4 x 21" torpedo tubes (Mk-48 torpedoes or UGM-84 Harpoon missiles)

Performance Radar Chart

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has greater displacement, the Kilo-class or Virginia-class?
The Virginia-class has greater displacement at 6,930 tons compared to the Kilo-class's 2,325 tons.
Which is faster, the Kilo-class or Virginia-class?
The Kilo-class is faster with a maximum speed of 17 knots compared to the Virginia-class's 15 knots.
Which has longer range, the Kilo-class or Virginia-class?
The Virginia-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 Virginia-class?
The Virginia-class is longer at 115.0 meters compared to the Kilo-class's 72.6 meters.
How many crew members do the Kilo-class and Virginia-class have?
The Virginia-class has a larger crew complement of 135 compared to the Kilo-class's 52 crew members.
Which can dive deeper, the Kilo-class or Virginia-class?
The Kilo-class can dive deeper with a maximum depth of 300 meters compared to the Virginia-class's 240 meters.
Which is more expensive, the Kilo-class or Virginia-class?
The Virginia-class is more expensive at approximately $2.8 billion per unit compared to the Kilo-class at $200 million.
Which has been built in greater numbers, the Kilo-class or Virginia-class?
The Kilo-class has been built in greater numbers with 75 vessels compared to 26 vessels of the Virginia-class.