TOP SECRETS OF STEALTH SUBMARINE
In what may be a major strategic setback to the Indian Navy, highly sensitive information pertaining to six submarines being built in Mumbai has been leaked.
The ‘stunning leak’ was reported by the Australian, a Sydney based newspaper, which "detailed the entire secret combat capability of the six Scorpene-class submarines" being built in collaboration with the French company at the Mazgaon Dockyard – a US $3.46 billion (Rs 23,562 crore) project.
The disclosures have triggered an investigation to determine the extent to which one of the world's largest defense projects has been compromised. Since the French Government owns two-third stake in DCNS, the submarine maker, the BJP Government on Wednesday lost no time in seeking a report from the shipbuilder on the media leak.
The Indian Navy is blaming DCNS and is claiming that "the source of leak is from overseas and not in India."
The newspaper fished out all the details about the Scorpene deal since DCNS is to make 12 similar vessels for Australia, a US $ 38 billion contract it won after beating stiff completion from Japanese and German submarine-makers.
"Treating it as a serious matter, the French national authorities for defence security will formally investigate and determine the exact nature of the leak,’’ a DCNS spokeswoman said in a statement quoted by news agency Reuters.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar hoped that the extent of leak won't be "100 per cent," since a lot of final integration lies with India. He told reporters that a clear picture will emerge in a couple of days. "The first step is to identify if the leak is connected to us. Anyway it is not as if 100 per cent data has been leaked," he said, adding that it appeared to be a case of "hacking data."
"I have asked the Navy chief to study the entire issue about what has been leaked, what is there about us and to what extent. It came to my knowledge at about 12 AM," he added.
In a brief statement claiming that the source of leak was possibly overseas, the Navy said: "The available information is being examined at Integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defence (Navy), and an analysis is being carried out by the concerned specialists."
The leaked DCNS data, claimed to be running into 22,400 pages, details the secret stealth capabilities of the six submarines, including what frequencies they gather intelligence at, what levels of noise they make at various speeds and their diving depths, range and endurance -- all sensitive information that is highly classified, according to the Australian daily. The data tells the submarine crew where on the boat they can speak safely to avoid detection by the enemy. It also discloses magnetic, electromagnetic and infra-red data as well as the specifications of the submarine's torpedo launch system and the combat system. It details the speed and conditions needed for using the periscope, the noise specifications of the propeller and the radiated noise levels that occur when the submarine surfaces. The data, accessed by the paper, includes 4457 pages on the submarine's underwater sensors, 4209 pages on its above-water sensors, 4301 pages on its combat management system, 493 pages on its torpedo launch system and specifications, 6841 pages on the sub's communications system and 2138 on its navigation systems. The leaked documents were marked "Restricted Scorpene India," said the newspaper, as it claimed to have seen the data. These details pertain to sensitive combat capabilities of India's new submarine fleet and would be an intelligence bonanza if obtained by India's strategic rivals, such as Pakistan or China, it said. It is, however, not yet clear how, where, and to whom the top-secret information was leaked.