Rubin Design Bureau Kilo-class (Project 636.3) vs General Dynamics Electric Boat Virginia-class Submarine
Rubin Design Bureau Kilo-class (Project 636.3) and General Dynamics Electric Boat Virginia-class Submarine are both submarine, compared here on public specifications. The General Dynamics Electric Boat Virginia-class Submarine leads on max speed (25 vs 17 kn). Several Russia-origin figures here are manufacturer or state claims with limited independent verification, so treat this comparison as directional.
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Full data
Full spec sheet
 Rubin Design Bureau Kilo-class (Project 636.3)
Wins 4/6 |  General Dynamics Electric Boat Virginia-class Submarine
Wins 2/6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Firepower | ||
| VLS cells | N/A | 12 |
| Torpedo tubes | 6 ✓ | 4 |
| Physical | ||
| Length (m) | 73.8 m | 114.9 m |
| Naval | ||
| Displacement (t) | 2,350 t | 7,900 t |
| Max speed (kn) | 17 kn | 25 kn ✓ |
| Submerged speed (kn) | 20 kn | 25 kn ✓ |
| Range (nmi) | 7,500 nmi | N/A |
| Test depth (m) | 300 m ✓ | 240 m |
| Complement | 52 | 135 |
| Program | ||
| Unit cost (USD) | N/A | $3,450,000,000 |
| Units built | 70 ✓ | 24 |
| Operator countries | 8 ✓ | 1 |
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper? +
The General Dynamics Electric Boat Virginia-class Submarine has the lower public unit-cost figure at 3,450,000,000 USD. Treat this as directional, defense pricing varies by contract and configuration.
Which has the higher max speed? +
The General Dynamics Electric Boat Virginia-class Submarine has the higher max speed at 25 kn.
Which has the higher test depth? +
The Rubin Design Bureau Kilo-class (Project 636.3) has the higher test depth at 300 m.
Which has the higher torpedo tubes? +
The Rubin Design Bureau Kilo-class (Project 636.3) has the higher torpedo tubes at 6.
Which has the higher submerged speed? +
The General Dynamics Electric Boat Virginia-class Submarine has the higher submerged speed at 25 kn.
Which has the higher units built? +
The Rubin Design Bureau Kilo-class (Project 636.3) has the higher units built at 70.
Is the Rubin Design Bureau Kilo-class (Project 636.3) better than the General Dynamics Electric Boat Virginia-class Submarine? +
On the public specs we track, the Rubin Design Bureau Kilo-class (Project 636.3) leads on 4 of 6 headline metrics, see the full spec sheet for the metric-by-metric breakdown.
Where does this comparison data come from? +
Every figure in the table is sourced from public manufacturer pages, defense-ministry releases and reference publications, and is verifiable on each system's spec page. WeaponSpecs does not accept vendor placement.
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