Submarine Dive Depth Comparison (Test Depths)
Compare 12 submarine test and rated depths in meters: Los Angeles, Seawolf, Ohio, Typhoon, Trieste at 10,911 m, Alvin and Titan, with navy fact file sources.
Visual comparison
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| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles class Collapse depth listed as 450 m per Janes. Test is not crush. | 290 m (951.4 ft) | US Navy nuclear attack submarine test depth | FAS SSN-688 page: test depth 950 ft, about 290 m |
| Seawolf class HY-100 steel hull. Deepest military test depth here. | 490 m (1,607.6 ft) | US Navy nuclear attack submarine test depth | FAS SSN-21 page: test depth about 1,600 ft, 490 m |
| Ohio class Actual capability is classified. Uses 240 m published test depth. | 240 m (787.4 ft) | US Navy ballistic missile submarine test depth | Electric Boat Ohio page: diving depth 800+ ft |
| Virginia class Official figure is over 240 m. Actual depth is classified. | 240 m (787.4 ft) | US Navy nuclear attack submarine test depth | US Navy SSN Fact File; class data: test depth over 800 ft |
| Typhoon class (Project 941) Some refs list design max near 500 to 600 m. Uses 400 test. | 400 m (1,312.3 ft) | Soviet and Russian ballistic missile submarine test depth | Naval Technology SSBN Typhoon Class page: max diving depth 400 m |
| K-278 Komsomolets (Mike class) Reached 1,020 m on 4 Aug 1984. Lost April 1989. | 1,000 m (3,280.8 ft) | Soviet titanium hull test depth | Naval Sub League titanium subs paper: test depth 1,000 m |
| USS Thresher (SSN-593) Lost 10 April 1963 near test depth. Implosion near 730 m. | 400 m (1,312.3 ft) | US Navy nuclear attack submarine test depth | USNI Naval History; Navy trial agenda: test depth 1,300 ft, 400 m |
| Kursk K-141 (Oscar II class) Range is 300 to 500 m with max near 600. Uses conservative 300. | 300 m (984.3 ft) | Russian cruise missile submarine test depth estimate | Oscar II class data: test depth 300 to 500 m estimates |
| Trieste bathyscaphe 35,797 ft corrected. Crew was Walsh and Piccard. Achieved depth. | 10,911 m (35,797.2 ft) | US Navy Project Nekton Challenger Deep bottom depth, 23 Jan 1960 | US Navy History H-041-6; USNI Proceedings: 35,797 ft, 10,911 m |
| Alvin HOV Later upgrade plan targets 6,500 m. Cited release certifies 4,500. | 4,500 m (14,763.8 ft) | WHOI human occupied research submersible rated depth | WHOI press release 10 March 2015: NAVSEA certification 4,500 m |
| Titan submersible Lost June 2023 near the Titanic wreck at about 3,800 m. | 4,000 m (13,123.4 ft) | OceanGate Cyclops class rated depth | OceanGate Titan spec sheet (USCG exhibit): depth 4,000 m |
| Astute class Official phrasing is over 300 m. Actual max is not published. | 300 m (984.3 ft) | Royal Navy nuclear attack submarine test depth | Royal Navy Astute class page: test depth over 300 m |
About this converter
Submarine depths split into two worlds: military test depths in the hundreds of meters and research descents in the thousands. Trieste reached 10,911 meters in 1960, while a Los Angeles class boat tests at 290. That means one Trieste descent equals almost 38 Los Angeles test depths. Every figure on this page is a published test depth, rated depth or achieved depth from navy fact files, classification societies and mission logs. Test depth is the certified safe max. Crush depth is the calculated failure point, and the table never mixes the two.
How to use it
Pick two vessels and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked: one holds a count of the first depth, one the matching count of the second, one the depth in the chosen unit. Change any box and the other two update. Try 1 Trieste against an Ohio class boat, or Alvin against Seawolf, to feel how research depths dwarf military test depths.
US policy sets test depth near two thirds of collapse depth, a safety factor of 1.5. Komsomolets shows the gap: 1,000 meters test against 1,250 to 1,500 design and crush figures, after reaching 1,020 in 1984. Thresher was lost in 1963 near its 400 meter test depth. Kursk is the least certain row, published as a 300 to 500 meter range, so the table uses the conservative 300 and says so.
FAQ
What is the difference between test depth and crush depth?
Test depth is the certified safe operating max proved by actual submergence. Crush depth is the calculated hull failure depth, about 1.5 times test depth.
How deep did Trieste go in 1960?
Trieste reached 10,911 m. That equals 35,797 ft in the Challenger Deep on 23 Jan 1960.
What is Alvin rated to?
Alvin is certified to 4,500 m. WHOI announced NAVSEA certification to that rated depth in 2015.
What was Titan rated to?
Titan was rated to 4,000 m. The spec sheet lists seating for 5 persons and depth of 4,000 m.
Sources
- US Navy Fact Files (Attack Submarines SSN; Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarines SSBN)
- FAS Navy Ships pages (SSN-688; SSN-21); OPNAVINST 9110.1D (test depth definitions)
- WHOI Alvin 4,500 m certification release; US Navy History H-041-6 (Trieste); OceanGate Titan spec sheet
- Naval Technology pages (Typhoon class; Oscar II class); Royal Navy Astute class page
Last verified: 2026-10-04 · 12 entries
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