Shallow Water Combat Submersible vs Type 039A/B/C submarine

FORCETALLY

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Shallow Water Combat Submersible — licensed reference photograph

ASubmarines

Shallow Water Combat Submersible

Submersible , diver propulsion vehicle

Credit

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

Type 039A/B/C submarine — licensed reference photograph

BSubmarines

Type 039A/B/C submarine

Attack submarine

Credit

Darkranch23 at English Wikipedia · Public domain · Resized · Public domain · Source ↗ · Modified

First system

Second system

At a glance

Side by side

Length comparisonOne shared metre scale

Shallow Water Combat SubmersibleLength

6.8 m

Length source ↗

Type 039A/B/C submarineLength

77.6 m

Length source ↗

Lengths retain their source configuration and measurement scope.

Shallow Water Combat Submersiblelarger figure on 0 of 4

None

Type 039A/B/C submarinelarger figure on 4 of 4

Length+1041%
Beam+460%
Draught+347%

Measured figures

Head to head

15 of 26 rows sourced on both sides

6.8m

77.6m

Length+1041%

All recorded figures & sources

6.8 m

Length

Single source

6.8 meters (22 ft)^[source]

77.6 m

Length

Single source

Configuration

Details

Shallow Water Combat Submersible and Type 039A/B/C submarine configuration
Specification	Shallow Water Combat Submersible	Type 039A/B/C submarine
Builders	Teledyne Brown Engineering^[source]	Wuchang Shipbuilding , Wuhan^[source]
Operators	United States Navy Royal Navy (planned)^[source]	Current operators: People's Liberation Army Navy Pakistan Navy Future operators Royal Thai Navy^[source]
Preceded by	SEAL Delivery Vehicle^[source]	Type 039^[source]
Cost	$383 million (program cost)^[source]

On order	7 USN, 3 RN^[source]	—

Building	2^[source]	—

Completed	2^[source]	≥22^[source]

Type	Submersible , diver propulsion vehicle^[source]	Attack submarine^[source]

Propulsion	Lithium-ion batteries powering electric motors^[source]	Diesel-electric, 1 shaft, AIP^[source]

Test depth	>190 feet (58 m)^[source]	250 m (820 ft)^[source]

Sensors & processing systems	Inertial navigation system , high-frequency sonar for obstacle/mine avoidance and navigation, GPS^[source]	—

Armament	SEAL team personal weapons, limpet mines^[source]	6 × 533 mm (21 in) torpedo tubes for: Yu-10 torpedoes Yu-6 torpedoes Anti-ship cruise missiles including YJ-82 , YJ-18 (Type 039A and Type 039B) and YJ-19 (Type 039B and Type 039C)^[source]

Country of origin	United States^[source]Inventory Origin column; table 2, row 5, cell 2; revision 1373375989; retrieved 2026-09-30	People's Republic of China^[source]

Name	—	Type 039A Type 039B Type 039C^[source]

Succeeded by	—	Type 041^[source]

Subclasses	—	Hangor class (Pakistan) Matchanu class (Thailand) (under construction)^[source]

In commission	—	2006–present^[source]

Planned	—	≥25^[source]

Active	—	At least 22 submarines: ≥1 Type 039C Per United States Department of Defense : 21 Type 039A and Type 039B combined Per International Institute for Strategic Studies : 4 Type 039A and 16 Type 039B^[source]