Sang-O-class submarine vs Shallow Water Combat Submersible

Sang-O-class submarine — licensed reference photograph

ASubmarines

Sang-O-class submarine

Coastal submarine

Credit

Public Affairs, U.S. Forces Korea · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified

Shallow Water Combat Submersible — licensed reference photograph

BSubmarines

Shallow Water Combat Submersible

Submersible , diver propulsion vehicle

Credit

CAPT Kate Dollof · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

Sang-O-class submarineLength

34 m

Length source ↗

Shallow Water Combat SubmersibleLength

6.8 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

Sang-O-class submarinelarger figure on 2 of 2

Length+400%
Beam+153%

Shallow Water Combat Submersiblelarger figure on 0 of 2

None

Counts only measures both sources give with the same scope. A larger figure is not a better system.

Measured figures

Head to head

15 of 29 rows sourced on both sides

34m

6.8m

Length+400%

All recorded figures & sources

34 m

Length

Single source

34 m (111 ft 7 in)^[source]

6.8 m

Length

Single source

6.8 meters (22 ft)^[source]

3.8m

1.5m

Beam+153%

All recorded figures & sources

3.8 m

Beam

Single source

3.8 m (12 ft 6 in)^[source]

1.5 m

Beam

Single source

1.5 meters (4.9 ft)^[source]

—

1.5mDraft

Draught

All recorded figures & sources

1.5 m

Draft

Single source

1.5 meters (4.9 ft)^[source]

275 tons (surfaced) 370 tons (submerged)

Displacement

All recorded figures & sources

275 tons (surfaced) 370 tons (submerged)^[source]

4.5 tonnes

Displacement

Single source

4.5 tonnes (5.0 short tons)^[source]

62 crew, 4 passengers

Complement

All recorded figures & sources

15 people

Complement

Single source

15^[source]

6 people

2 crew, 4 passengers

Single source

6 (2 crew, 4 passengers)^[source]

17km/hMaximum; Submerged

11km/hMaximum; Speed

SpeedScopes differ

All recorded figures & sources

17 km/h

Maximum; Submerged

Single source

13.9 km/h

Maximum; Surfaced

Single source

7.5 knots (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) surfaced 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph) submerged^[source]

11 km/h

Maximum; Speed

Single source

6 kn (11 km/h)^[source]

2,800km

—

Range

All recorded figures & sources

2,800 km

Range

Single source

1,500 nmi (2,800 km; 1,700 mi)^[source]

—

12h

Endurance

All recorded figures & sources

12 h

Endurance

Single source

12 hours^[source]

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

Configuration

Details

Sang-O-class submarine and Shallow Water Combat Submersible configuration
Specification	Sang-O-class submarine	Shallow Water Combat Submersible
Builders	Bong Dao Bo Shipyards, Singpo^[source]	Teledyne Brown Engineering^[source]
Operators	Korean People's Navy^[source]	United States Navy Royal Navy (planned)^[source]
Preceded by	Yugo class^[source]	SEAL Delivery Vehicle^[source]
Succeeded by	Sinpo class^[source]	—
Subclasses	Attack version, infiltration/reconnaissance version^[source]	—
In commission	1991^[source]	—
Completed	41+^[source]	2^[source]
Active	40 (February 2021)^[source]	—
Lost	1 captured by South Korea^[source]	—
Preserved	1^[source]	—
Type	Coastal submarine^[source]	Submersible , diver propulsion vehicle^[source]
Propulsion	Diesel-electric: 1 small diesel, 1 electric motor, 1 shaft^[source]	Lithium-ion batteries powering electric motors^[source]
Test depth	150 m (490 ft), capable of bottoming^[source]	>190 feet (58 m)^[source]
Capacity	0 (10/11 in recce version)^[source]	—
Sensors & processing systems	Radar Civilian Furuno I-band radar Passive RWR/ESM/SIGINT Golf Ball radar Snoop Plate radar Sonar Trout Cheek sonar^[source]	Inertial navigation system , high-frequency sonar for obstacle/mine avoidance and navigation, GPS^[source]
Armament	4 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes fitted with Russian 53-65KE torpedoes Capable of minelaying^[source]	SEAL team personal weapons, limpet mines^[source]
Notes	Fitted with a snorkel^[source]	—
Country of origin	North Korea^[source]	United States^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 2, row 5, cell 2; revision 1373375989; retrieved 2026-09-30
Cost	—	$383 million (program cost)^[source]
On order	—	7 USN, 3 RN^[source]
Building	—	2^[source]

FORCETALLY

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Sang-O-class submarine

Shallow Water Combat Submersible

Builders

Bong Dao Bo Shipyards, Singpo^[source]

Teledyne Brown Engineering^[source]

Operators

Korean People's Navy^[source]

United States Navy Royal Navy (planned)^[source]

Preceded by

Yugo class^[source]

SEAL Delivery Vehicle^[source]

Succeeded by

Sinpo class^[source]

—

Subclasses

Attack version, infiltration/reconnaissance version^[source]

—

In commission

1991^[source]

—

Completed

41+^[source]

2^[source]

Active

40 (February 2021)^[source]

—

Lost

1 captured by South Korea^[source]

—

Preserved

1^[source]

—

Type

Coastal submarine^[source]

Submersible , diver propulsion vehicle^[source]

Propulsion

Diesel-electric: 1 small diesel, 1 electric motor, 1 shaft^[source]

Lithium-ion batteries powering electric motors^[source]

Test depth

150 m (490 ft), capable of bottoming^[source]

>190 feet (58 m)^[source]

Capacity

0 (10/11 in recce version)^[source]

—

Sensors & processing systems

Radar Civilian Furuno I-band radar Passive RWR/ESM/SIGINT Golf Ball radar Snoop Plate radar Sonar Trout Cheek sonar^[source]

Inertial navigation system , high-frequency sonar for obstacle/mine avoidance and navigation, GPS^[source]

Armament

4 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes fitted with Russian 53-65KE torpedoes Capable of minelaying^[source]

SEAL team personal weapons, limpet mines^[source]

Notes

Fitted with a snorkel^[source]

—

Country of origin

North Korea^[source]

United States^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 2, row 5, cell 2; revision 1373375989; retrieved 2026-09-30

Cost

—

$383 million (program cost)^[source]

On order

—

7 USN, 3 RN^[source]

Building

—

2^[source]