Parrikar seeks report from navy on Scorpene submarine data leak

New Delhi, August 24

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has sought a report from the navy on the alleged leak of sensitive data on India’s Scorpene submarines, as part of the larger expose pertaining to some 22,000 documents of its French designer, DCNS, by the Australian media.

“The first step is to identify if it relates to us,” Parrikar told reporters here, referring to the documents that purportedly reveal details on the sub’s underwater and above-water sensors, as also combat management, torpedo launch, navigation and communications systems.

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“The Navy Chief (Admiral Sunil Lanba) has been asked to analyse what exactly has been leaked,” the minister said, adding that his first assessment was that it was an act of hacking and not a 100-per cent leak. “We do have our final integration and all that,” he said.

“What I can understand--because it came to my knowledge around midnight--is there is hacking. So we will find out all these aspects,” he said. “I’ve told the navy chief to find out all the details. Maybe, in a couple of days I’ll be able to share them with you.”

The Australian media reports, quoting DCNS, said the leak of such technical data could not happen with its proposed submarine for Australia. The French company also alluded that the leak might have occurred at India’s end, rather than from France.

“Uncontrolled technical data is not possible in the Australian Arrangements,” the company said as per a report in The Australian. “Multiple and independent controls exist within DCNS to prevent unauthorised access to data and all data movements are encrypted and recorded,” it said.

“In the case of India, where a DCNS design is built by a local company, DCNS is the provider and not the controller of technical data.” The first of the Scorpene-class submarines being built in India, INS Kalvari, went for sea trials in May 2016 and is expected to be inducted in the Indian Navy soon. Variants of Scorpene submarines are also used by Malaysia and Chile, with Brazil to join the club soon. IANS