Scorpene submarine data leaked, report sought from navy

The secret documents are about the $3.5 billion project being handled by French shipbuilder DCNS for the Indian Navy

GN Bureau | August 24, 2016


#French shipbuilder   #data leak   #Scorpene submarine   #Manohar Parrikar   #Indian Navy  
Scorpene submarine
Scorpene submarine


Defence minister Manohar Parrikar has sought a report from the Indian Navy chief following the leak of secret data on the combat capability of the Scorpene-class submarines.

The classified information of the 3.5-billion-dollar project handled by the French shipbuilder DCNS to build submarines for the Indian Navy, has been accessed and reported by the newspaper The Australian.
 
‘Restricted Scorpion India’- the 22,400 pages of secret document, which can now be accessed online - has information like the stealth capabilities, frequencies at which submarines gather intelligence, the level of noise the subs make at various speed, diving depth, magnetic, electromagnetic and infra-red data and other features. 
 
These submarines are being built at the Mumbai shipyard. The first of the Scorpene class - INS Kalvari, took part in sea trials in May this year and is soon expected to be inducted in the navy.
 
The Australian reported: “The data on the Scorpene was written in France for India in 2011 and is suspected of being removed from France in that same year by a former French Navy officer who was at that time a DCNS subcontractor. The data is then believed to have been taken to a company in Southeast Asia, possibly to assist in a commercial venture for a regional navy. It is unclear how widely the data has been shared in Asia or whether it has been obtained by foreign ­intelligence agencies.”
 
The defence ministry said that the leak took place overseas and not in India. “The available information is being examined at Integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defence (Navy) and an analysis is being carried out by the concerned specialists,” it said.
The DCNS said it has launched an inquiry “which will determine the precise nature of the documents which have been leaked, the potential damage to our customers as well as those responsible".
 
Countries like Malaysia, Chile and Brazil are using Scorpene variants. Also, the French company is designing Australia’s submarine fleet worth $50 billion. The leaked document, however, does not contain any information related to the vessels designed for Australia.
 

Comments

 

Other News

Not just politics, let`s discuss policies too

Why public policy matters Most days, India`s loudest debates stop at the ballot box. We can name every major leader and recall every campaign slogan. Still, far fewer of us can explain why a widow`s pension is delayed or how a government school`s budget is actually approved. That

When algorithms decide and children die

The images have not left me, of dead and wounded children being carried in the arms of the medics and relatives to the ambulances and hospitals. On February 28, at the start of Operation Epic Fury, cruise missiles struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh school – officially named a girls’ school, in Minab,

The economics of representation: Why women in power matter

India’s democracy has grown in scale, but not quite in balance. Women today are active participants in elections, influencing outcomes in ways that were not as visible earlier. Yet their presence in legislative institutions continues to lag behind. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was meant to addres

India will be powerful, not aggressive: Bhaiyyaji

India is poised to emerge as a global power but will remain rooted in its civilisational ethos of non-aggression and harmony, former RSS General Secretary Suresh `Bhaiyyaji` Joshi has said.   He was speaking at the launch of “Rashtrabhav,” a book by Ravindra Sathe

AI: Code, Control, Conquer

India today stands at a critical juncture in the area of artificial intelligence. While the country is among the fastest adopters of AI in the world, it remains heavily reliant on technologies developed elsewhere. This paradox, experts warn, cannot persist if India seeks technological sovereignty.

RBI pauses to assess inflation risks, policy transmission

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has begun the new fiscal year with a calibrated pause, keeping the repo rate unchanged at 5.25 per cent in its April Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting. The decision, taken unanimously, reflects a shift from aggressive policy action to cautious observation after a signi


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter