Los Angeles vs Type 209

The Los Angeles and the Type 209 are both Submarine classes. The Los Angeles displaces 6,082 tons — 4.7x the Type 209's 1,285 tons. The Los Angeles reaches 15 knots vs 11 knots for the Type 209. Operational range is 99,999 nautical miles for the Los Angeles vs 11,000 for the Type 209. The Los Angeles carries a crew of 129 vs 36 for the Type 209. Submerged displacement is 6,927 tons for the Los Angeles vs 1,810 tons for the Type 209. The Type 209 can dive to 500 m compared to 450 m for the Los Angeles. The Los Angeles was produced in 62 units vs 68 for the Type 209. Cost per hull is $900M for the Los Angeles vs $285M for the Type 209. The Los Angeles was commissioned in 1976, 5 years after the Type 209 (1971).

United States nuclear attack submarine, introduced in 1976, displaced 6,082 tons.
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
German diesel-electric submarine, introduced in 1971, displaces 1,285 tons.
Origin 🇩🇪 Germany
Category Submarine
Type Diesel-electric attack submarines
Manufacturer Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft
Year introduced 1971
Number built 68 units
Estimated unit price $285 million
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)
Displacement 1,285 tons
Maximum speed 11.0 knots
Range 11,000 nm at 10 knots
Length 64.4 m
Beam 6.5 m
Crew 36
Max depth 500 m
Propulsion Diesel-electric, 4 diesels, 1 shaft, 6,100 shp (4,500 kW)
Armament
  • 8 x 533 mm torpedo tubes
  • 14 torpedoes
  • UGM-84 Harpoon missiles
  • SeaHake mod 4 torpedoes
  • SUT torpedoes
  • SST torpedoes
  • Mark 24 Tigerfish torpedoes
  • DM2A3 torpedoes
  • Blackshark torpedoes
  • A184 mod. 3 torpedoes
  • DM2A4 torpedoes
  • Mark 37 torpedoes
  • Mark 48 torpedoes
  • Mines

Performance Radar Chart

Frequently Asked Questions

Which has greater displacement, the Los Angeles-class or Type 209-class?
The Los Angeles-class has greater displacement at 6,082 tons compared to the Type 209-class's 1,285 tons.
Which is faster, the Los Angeles-class or Type 209-class?
The Los Angeles-class is faster with a maximum speed of 15 knots compared to the Type 209-class's 11 knots.
Which has longer range, the Los Angeles-class or Type 209-class?
The Los Angeles-class is nuclear-powered with unlimited range, while the Type 209-class has a range of 11,000 nautical miles.
Which is longer, the Los Angeles-class or Type 209-class?
The Los Angeles-class is longer at 110.0 meters compared to the Type 209-class's 64.4 meters.
How many crew members do the Los Angeles-class and Type 209-class have?
The Los Angeles-class has a larger crew complement of 129 compared to the Type 209-class's 36 crew members.
Which can dive deeper, the Los Angeles-class or Type 209-class?
The Type 209-class can dive deeper with a maximum depth of 500 meters compared to the Los Angeles-class's 450 meters.
Which is more expensive, the Los Angeles-class or Type 209-class?
The Los Angeles-class is more expensive at approximately $900 million per unit compared to the Type 209-class at $285 million.
Which has been built in greater numbers, the Los Angeles-class or Type 209-class?
The Type 209-class has been built in greater numbers with 68 vessels compared to 62 vessels of the Los Angeles-class.