Fresh Scorpene data out, this time of sonar system
Even as the Indian Navy said the Scorpene project leak has been taken up with the French government, fresh documents were released by the ‘Australian’ newspaper on Thursday.
These documents pertain to information about operating instructions of the warfare system of the six Scorpene submarines which are being built in India by the French firm DCNS.
The fresh revelations came even as the Indian Navy took up the matter with Director General of Armament of the French Government and asked him to investigate the leak with urgency.
The new set of documents, with the Indian Navy insignia on it, give details about the sonar system of the submarines which is used to gather intelligence underwater. There are also details of the "Operating Instruction Manual", which talks about how to select a target for weapon firing.
Though the Navy has not yet officially reacted to the release of the new documents, sources maintained that these do not compromise national security.
The Navy had indicated on Wednesday that there is "nothing to get alarmed" about, as the specifications in the documents will not be same as in the submarine to be finally manufactured. An official from the Indian Navy, who did not want to be named, said the specifications in the documents are generic, and each boat has a unique signature that is known only when it is ready and in the waters.
Defence experts said the same information about a submarine was available on "many naval defence websites". "On the face of it, these documents are a basic operating manual: When you buy any good from the market, it will come with an operating manual," defence analyst Commodore Uday Bhaskar told a wire agency.
The Defence Ministry, too, had said earlier in the day that there is no immediate security risk from the leak. Contacted by a wire agency on Thursday, the DCNS, the French makers of the Scorpene submarine, said the "serious matter" is being thoroughly investigated by the "proper French national authorities". It said it had no "additive comments" and was waiting for the result of the investigation.
Nonetheless, an internal audit of procedures to rule out any security compromise is being undertaken. As a matter of abundant precaution, the ministry said the government is also examining the impact of the information contained in the documents.
This detailed assessment of potential impact is being undertaken by a high level committee. Meanwhile, the Congress party has described Manohar Parrikar as India’s “most incompetent and careless” defence minister, and alleged that he is guilty of a facilitating a cover-up in the leak of secret details related to the six submarines. “The Defence Minister started off with passing the buck. I think he is one of the most incompetent defence ministers we have had in free India. He talks about hacking, the Navy talks about the source being outside India without any investigation. This defence minister we charge has been careless and is trying to cover-up,” Congress leader Tom Vadakkan told ANI. Demanding that the complete enquiry be monitored by the judicial process to get to the bottom of the issue, Vadakkan said,“This is the security of India, not about a political party. If the minister has failed or the offices have failed, the culprit must be nailed.”