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Son Won-il vs Virginia

Virginia submarine side profile drawing
🇺🇸 Virginia
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Specifications
Son Won-il Virginia
Origin 🇩🇪 Germany 🇺🇸 United States
Category Submarine Submarine
Type Diesel-electric submarine Nuclear-powered attack submarine
Manufacturer Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft General Dynamics Electric Boat
Year introduced 2007 2004
Number built 16 units 26 units
Estimated unit price $330 million $2,800 million
Displacement 1,690 tons 6,930 tons
Maximum speed 12.0 knots 15.0 knots
Range 12,000 nm Unlimited
Length 65.0 m 115.0 m
Beam 6.3 m 10.0 m
Crew 27 135
Max depth 400 m 240 m
Performance Radar Chart
Armament & Systems
Son Won-il Virginia
Armament
  • 8 × 533 mm torpedo tubes
  • 4 Sub-Harpoon missile-capable
  • 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, fuel cell AIP, low-noise skew back propeller; 2 × MTU 16V-396 (3.96 MW) diesel engines; 1 × Siemens Permasyn (2.85 MW) electric motor 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

Overview

The Son Won-il and the Virginia are both Submarine classes.

The Virginia displaces 6,930 tons — 4.1x the Son Won-il's 1,690 tons. The Son Won-il reaches 12 knots vs 15 knots for the Virginia. Operational range is 12,000 nautical miles for the Son Won-il vs 99,999 for the Virginia. The Son Won-il carries a crew of 27 vs 135 for the Virginia. Submerged displacement is 1,860 tons for the Son Won-il vs 7,900 tons for the Virginia. The Son Won-il can dive to 400 m compared to 240 m for the Virginia.

The Son Won-il was produced in 16 units vs 26 for the Virginia. Cost per hull is $330M for the Son Won-il vs $2,800M for the Virginia. The Son Won-il was commissioned in 2007, 3 years after the Virginia (2004).

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which has greater displacement, the Son Won-il-class or Virginia-class?
The Virginia-class has greater displacement at 6,930 tons compared to the Son Won-il-class's 1,690 tons.
Which is faster, the Son Won-il-class or Virginia-class?
The Virginia-class is faster with a maximum speed of 15 knots compared to the Son Won-il-class's 12 knots.
Which has longer range, the Son Won-il-class or Virginia-class?
The Virginia-class is nuclear-powered with unlimited range, while the Son Won-il-class has a range of 12,000 nautical miles.
Which is longer, the Son Won-il-class or Virginia-class?
The Virginia-class is longer at 115.0 meters compared to the Son Won-il-class's 65.0 meters.
How many crew members do the Son Won-il-class and Virginia-class have?
The Virginia-class has a larger crew complement of 135 compared to the Son Won-il-class's 27 crew members.
Which can dive deeper, the Son Won-il-class or Virginia-class?
The Son Won-il-class can dive deeper with a maximum depth of 400 meters compared to the Virginia-class's 240 meters.
Which is more expensive, the Son Won-il-class or Virginia-class?
The Virginia-class is more expensive at approximately $2.8 billion per unit compared to the Son Won-il-class at $330 million.
Which has been built in greater numbers, the Son Won-il-class or Virginia-class?
The Virginia-class has been built in greater numbers with 26 vessels compared to 16 vessels of the Son Won-il-class.