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Scorpène vs Virginia

Overview

The Scorpène and the Virginia are both Submarine classes.

The Virginia displaces 6,930 tons — 4.4x the Scorpène's 1,565 tons. The Scorpène reaches 12 knots vs 15 knots for the Virginia. Operational range is 6,500 nautical miles for the Scorpène vs 99,999 for the Virginia. The Scorpène carries a crew of 31 vs 135 for the Virginia. Submerged displacement is 1,900 tons for the Scorpène vs 7,900 tons for the Virginia. The Scorpène can dive to 350 m compared to 240 m for the Virginia.

The Scorpène was produced in 14 units vs 26 for the Virginia. Cost per hull is $450M for the Scorpène vs $2,800M for the Virginia. The Scorpène was commissioned in 2005, 1 years after the Virginia (2004).

Scorpène

French diesel-electric submarine, 1,565 tons displacement, utilizes air-independent propulsion.
Profile of Scorpène
Origin 🇫🇷 France
Category Submarine
Type Diesel-electric attack submarine
Manufacturer Naval Group
Year introduced 2005
Number built 14 units
Estimated unit price $450 million
View full Scorpène details

Virginia

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
View full Virginia details

Scorpène

Displacement 1,565 tons ◉
Maximum speed 12.0 knots ◉
Range 6,500 nm at 8 knots ◉
Length 61.7 m ◉
Beam 6.2 m ◉
Crew 31 ◉
Max depth 350 m ◉
Propulsion Diesel-electric, Batteries, Air-independent propulsion (AIP), MESMA AIP, DRDO PAFC Fuel Cell AIP
Armament
  • 6 x 533 mm torpedo tubes
  • 18 Whitehead Alenia Sistemi Subacquei Black Shark heavyweight torpedoes
  • SM-39 Exocet anti-ship missiles
  • A3SM (MICA) anti-air missiles
  • 30 mines

Virginia

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 Scorpène-class or Virginia-class?
The Virginia-class has greater displacement at 6,930 tons compared to the Scorpène-class's 1,565 tons.
Which is faster, the Scorpène-class or Virginia-class?
The Virginia-class is faster with a maximum speed of 15 knots compared to the Scorpène-class's 12 knots.
Which has longer range, the Scorpène-class or Virginia-class?
The Virginia-class is nuclear-powered with unlimited range, while the Scorpène-class has a range of 6,500 nautical miles.
Which is longer, the Scorpène-class or Virginia-class?
The Virginia-class is longer at 115.0 meters compared to the Scorpène-class's 61.7 meters.
How many crew members do the Scorpène-class and Virginia-class have?
The Virginia-class has a larger crew complement of 135 compared to the Scorpène-class's 31 crew members.
Which can dive deeper, the Scorpène-class or Virginia-class?
The Scorpène-class can dive deeper with a maximum depth of 350 meters compared to the Virginia-class's 240 meters.
Which is more expensive, the Scorpène-class or Virginia-class?
The Virginia-class is more expensive at approximately $2.8 billion per unit compared to the Scorpène-class at $450 million.
Which has been built in greater numbers, the Scorpène-class or Virginia-class?
The Virginia-class has been built in greater numbers with 26 vessels compared to 14 vessels of the Scorpène-class.

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