Lafayette vs Romeo

The Lafayette and the Romeo are both Submarine classes. The Lafayette displaces 7,443 tons — 5.0x the Romeo's 1,475 tons. The Lafayette reaches 16 knots vs 15 knots for the Romeo. Operational range is 99,999 nautical miles for the Lafayette vs 9,000 for the Romeo. The Lafayette carries a crew of 140 vs 54 for the Romeo. Submerged displacement is 8,383 tons for the Lafayette vs 1,830 tons for the Romeo. The Lafayette was produced in 9 units vs 133 for the Romeo. The Lafayette was commissioned in 1963, 6 years after the Romeo (1957).

American submarine, introduced in 1963, displaced 7,443 tons and carried ballistic missiles.
Origin 🇺🇸 United States
Category Submarine
Type Nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine
Manufacturer General Dynamics Electric Boat
Year introduced 1963
Number built 9 units
Estimated unit price NA
Ex-USSR diesel-electric submarine, introduced in 1957, with 133 units built.
Origin 🇨🇳 Ex-USSR
Category Submarine
Type Diesel-electric submarine
Manufacturer Krasnoye Sormovo Shipyard
Year introduced 1957
Number built 133 units
Estimated unit price NA
Displacement 7,443 tons
Maximum speed 16.0 knots
Range Unlimited
Length 130.0 m
Beam 10.0 m
Crew 140
Max depth 400 m
Propulsion 1 × S5W PWR, 2 geared steam turbines (15,000 shp (11,000 kW)), 1 shaft
Armament
  • 16 Polaris A2/A3 or Poseidon C3 missiles
  • 4 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes
  • 12 torpedoes
Displacement 1,475 tons
Maximum speed 15.0 knots
Range 9,000 nm at 9 knots
Length 76.6 m
Beam 6.7 m
Crew 54
Max depth NA
Propulsion Two diesels delivering 2.94 MW (4000 shp) with two electric motors driving two shafts.
Armament
  • 8 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes (six bow, two stern)
  • 14 × 533 mm (21 in) anti-ship or anti-submarine torpedoes (including Yu-4 and Yu-1)
  • 28 mines

Performance Radar Chart

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has greater displacement, the Lafayette-class or Romeo-class?
The Lafayette-class has greater displacement at 7,443 tons compared to the Romeo-class's 1,475 tons.
Which is faster, the Lafayette-class or Romeo-class?
The Lafayette-class is faster with a maximum speed of 16 knots compared to the Romeo-class's 15 knots.
Which has longer range, the Lafayette-class or Romeo-class?
The Lafayette-class is nuclear-powered with unlimited range, while the Romeo-class has a range of 9,000 nautical miles.
Which is longer, the Lafayette-class or Romeo-class?
The Lafayette-class is longer at 130.0 meters compared to the Romeo-class's 76.6 meters.
How many crew members do the Lafayette-class and Romeo-class have?
The Lafayette-class has a larger crew complement of 140 compared to the Romeo-class's 54 crew members.
Which has been built in greater numbers, the Lafayette-class or Romeo-class?
The Romeo-class has been built in greater numbers with 133 vessels compared to 9 vessels of the Lafayette-class.