Balao-class submarine vs Oscar-class submarine

Balao-class submarine — licensed reference photograph

ASubmarines

Balao-class submarine

Diesel-electric submarine

Credit

AndriiKhmelkov · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Resized · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source ↗ · Modified

BSubmarines

Oscar-class submarine

Nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine

Credit

Sergey Konovalov · CC BY 4.0 · Resized · CC BY 4.0 · Source ↗ · Modified

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

Balao-class submarineLength · source measurement 2

94.9–95 m

Length source ↗

Oscar-class submarinemaximum

155 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

Measured figures

Head to head

24 of 29 rows sourced on both sides

94.9–95mLength · source measurement 2

155mmaximum

LengthScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

94.9452 m

Length · source measurement 1

Single source

94.9–95 m

Length · source measurement 2

Single source

311 ft 6 in–311 ft 10 in (94.9–95.0 m)^[source]

155 m

maximum

Single source

155 m (508 ft 6 in) maximum^[source]

8.31mBeam · source measurement 1

18.2m

Beam

All recorded figures & sources

8.3058 m

Beam · source measurement 1

Single source

8.3 m

Beam · source measurement 2

Single source

27 ft 3 in–27 ft 4 in (8.3 m)^[source]

18.2 m

Beam

Single source

18.2 m (59 ft 9 in)^[source]

5.13mmaximum

Draught

All recorded figures & sources

5.13 m

maximum

Single source

16 ft 10 in (5.13 m) maximum^[source]

9 m

Draught

Single source

9 m (29 ft 6 in)^[source]

2,429–2,463tonnes) submerged

19,400tSubmerged · source measurement 4

DisplacementScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

1,550 tonnes

1,526 tons ( ) surfaced, 2,391–2,424 tons (

Single source

2,429–2,463 tonnes

) submerged

Single source

1,526 tons (1,550 t ) surfaced, 2,391–2,424 tons (2,429–2463 t) submerged^[source]

16,500 tonnes

Submerged · source measurement 3

Single source

19,400 tonnes

Submerged · source measurement 4

Single source

10officers, 70–71 enlisted men

94/107

Complement

All recorded figures & sources

10 people

officers, 70–71 enlisted men

Single source

10 officers, 70–71 enlisted men^[source]

94/107^[source]

38km/hMaximum; Surfaced

59km/hMaximum; Submerged

SpeedScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

16 km/h

Maximum; Submerged

Single source

38 km/h

Maximum; Surfaced

Single source

20.25 knots (38 km/h) surfaced, 8.75 knots (16 km/h) submerged^[source]

59 km/h

Maximum; Submerged

Single source

28 km/h

Maximum; Surfaced

Single source

20,000kmsurfaced @ 10 knots (19 km/h)

—

Range

All recorded figures & sources

20,000 km

surfaced @ 10 knots (19 km/h)

Single source

11,000 nautical miles (20,000 km) surfaced @ 10 knots (19 km/h)^[source]

48h

120 days

Endurance

All recorded figures & sources

48 h

@ 2 knots (3.7 km/h) submerged, 75 days on patrol

Single source

48 hours @ 2 knots (3.7 km/h) submerged, 75 days on patrol^[source]

120 days^[source]

Bars compare reported quantities only. A larger figure does not make a system better; configurations and test conditions differ.

Configuration

Details

Balao-class submarine and Oscar-class submarine configuration
Specification	Balao-class submarine	Oscar-class submarine
Power	4 × diesel engines driving electrical generators ( Fairbanks-Morse or General Motors ); 2 × 126- cell Sargo batteries ; 4 × high-speed electric motors with reduction gears or 2 × low-speed electric motors ( Elliott Company or General Electric ) two shafts; 5,400 shp (4,000 kW) surfaced, 2,740 shp (2,040 kW) submerged^[source]	2 × pressurized water cooled reactors, HEU ≤ 45%^[source] 2 × steam turbines delivering 73,070 kW (97,990 shp) to two shafts^[source]
Name	Balao class^[source]	Oscar II class^[source]
Builders	Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Cramp Shipbuilding Company Mare Island Naval Shipyard Electric Boat Company Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company^[source]	Sevmash^[source]
Operators	United States Navy Italian Navy Turkish Navy Hellenic Navy Peruvian Navy Argentine Navy Chilean Navy Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela Republic of China Navy Royal Canadian Navy Brazilian Navy Royal Netherlands Navy Spanish Navy^[source]	Soviet Navy Russian Navy^[source]
Preceded by	Gato class^[source]	Papa class Charlie class^[source]
Succeeded by	Tench class^[source]	Yasen class^[source]
Built	1942–1946^[source]	1975–2022, may be restarted^[source]
In commission	1943–present^[source]	1980–present^[source]
Completed	120^[source]	14 (2 949, 11 949A, 1 09852)^[source]
Canceled	62^[source]	6 (2 incomplete, 4 never laid down)^[source]
Active	1^[source]	6 (modernization of some boats to 949AM)^[source]
Lost	14 (11 in United States service, 3 in foreign service)^[source]	1^[source]
Retired	105^[source]	5?^[source]
Preserved	7^[source]	—
Type	Diesel-electric submarine^[source]	Nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine^[source]
Test depth	400 ft (120 m)^[source]	600 m^[source]
Armament	10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes 6 forward, 4 aft 24 torpedoes 1 × 5-inch (127 mm) / 25 caliber deck gun Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon^[source]	4 × 533 mm (21.0 in) and 2 × 650 mm (26 in) torpedo tubes in bow 28 × 533 mm and 650 mm weapons, including RPK-2 Vyuga (SS-N-15 Starfish) anti-submarine missiles with 15 kt nuclear warheads and RPK-6 Vodopad/RPK-7 Veter (SS-N-16) anti-submarine missiles with 200 kt nuclear warhead or Type 40 anti-submarine torpedo or 32 ground mines 24 × P-700 Granit (SS-N-19 Shipwreck) cruise missiles with 750 kilograms (1,650 lb) HE or 6 × 100 Mt Poseidon nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed drones^[source]
Country of origin	United States^[source]	Soviet Union^[source]
Planned	—	20 (2 949, 18 949A)^[source]
Laid up	—	2^[source]
Alternative designation	—	Oscar II^[source]

FORCETALLY

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Balao-class submarine

Oscar-class submarine

Power

4 × diesel engines driving electrical generators ( Fairbanks-Morse or General Motors ); 2 × 126- cell Sargo batteries ; 4 × high-speed electric motors with reduction gears or 2 × low-speed electric motors ( Elliott Company or General Electric ) two shafts; 5,400 shp (4,000 kW) surfaced, 2,740 shp (2,040 kW) submerged^[source]

2 × pressurized water cooled reactors, HEU ≤ 45%^[source]

2 × steam turbines delivering 73,070 kW (97,990 shp) to two shafts^[source]

Name

Balao class^[source]

Oscar II class^[source]

Builders

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Cramp Shipbuilding Company Mare Island Naval Shipyard Electric Boat Company Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company^[source]

Sevmash^[source]

Operators

United States Navy Italian Navy Turkish Navy Hellenic Navy Peruvian Navy Argentine Navy Chilean Navy Bolivarian Navy of Venezuela Republic of China Navy Royal Canadian Navy Brazilian Navy Royal Netherlands Navy Spanish Navy^[source]

Soviet Navy Russian Navy^[source]

Preceded by

Gato class^[source]

Papa class Charlie class^[source]

Succeeded by

Tench class^[source]

Yasen class^[source]

Built

1942–1946^[source]

1975–2022, may be restarted^[source]

In commission

1943–present^[source]

1980–present^[source]

Completed

120^[source]

14 (2 949, 11 949A, 1 09852)^[source]

Canceled

62^[source]

6 (2 incomplete, 4 never laid down)^[source]

Active

1^[source]

6 (modernization of some boats to 949AM)^[source]

Lost

14 (11 in United States service, 3 in foreign service)^[source]

1^[source]

Retired

105^[source]

5?^[source]

Preserved

7^[source]

—

Type

Diesel-electric submarine^[source]

Nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine^[source]

Test depth

400 ft (120 m)^[source]

600 m^[source]

Armament

10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes 6 forward, 4 aft 24 torpedoes 1 × 5-inch (127 mm) / 25 caliber deck gun Bofors 40 mm and Oerlikon 20 mm cannon^[source]

4 × 533 mm (21.0 in) and 2 × 650 mm (26 in) torpedo tubes in bow 28 × 533 mm and 650 mm weapons, including RPK-2 Vyuga (SS-N-15 Starfish) anti-submarine missiles with 15 kt nuclear warheads and RPK-6 Vodopad/RPK-7 Veter (SS-N-16) anti-submarine missiles with 200 kt nuclear warhead or Type 40 anti-submarine torpedo or 32 ground mines 24 × P-700 Granit (SS-N-19 Shipwreck) cruise missiles with 750 kilograms (1,650 lb) HE or 6 × 100 Mt Poseidon nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed drones^[source]

Country of origin

United States^[source]

Soviet Union^[source]

Planned

—

20 (2 949, 18 949A)^[source]

Laid up

—

2^[source]

Alternative designation

—

Oscar II^[source]