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Scorpène vs Virginia

Scorpène vs Virginia at a glance — displacement 1,565 vs 6,930 tons, length 61 vs 115 m, speed 12 vs 15 knots, crew 31 vs 135.

Scorpène submarine side profile drawing
🇫🇷 Scorpène
Virginia submarine side profile drawing
🇺🇸 Virginia
Specifications
Scorpène Virginia
Origin 🇫🇷 France 🇺🇸 United States
Category Submarine Submarine
Type Diesel-electric attack submarine Nuclear-powered attack submarine
Manufacturer Naval Group General Dynamics Electric Boat
Year introduced 2005 2004
Number built 4 units 26 units
Estimated unit price $450 million $2,800 million
Displacement 1,565 tons 6,930 tons
Maximum speed 12.0 knots 15.0 knots
Range 6,500 nm at 8 knots Unlimited
Length 61.7 m 115.0 m
Beam 6.2 m 10.0 m
Crew 31 135
Max depth 350 m 240 m
Performance Radar Chart
Armament & Systems
Scorpène Virginia
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
  • 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)
Propulsion Diesel-electric, Batteries, Air-independent propulsion (AIP), MESMA AIP, DRDO PAFC Fuel Cell AIP 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
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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 4 vessels of the Scorpène-class.