A former French naval officer may be the source of the leaked data of Indian Navy’s Scorpene class submarines, a report in The Australian said.
The suspected officer is a sub-contractor for Direction des Constructions et Armes Navales (DCNS)–the French shipbuilding firm which was building the six Scorpene-class submarines for India.
DCNS had initially said that the leak appeared to have been at the Indian end. However, the leaked data also mentioned the firm’s plans to sell frigates to Chile and an amphibious ship to Russia, The Australian reported.
The Chief of Indian Naval Staff, Admiral Lamba had said on Wednesday that source of the leak was overseas and not in India.
French authorities said that they were trying to assess the extent, nature and sensitivity of the leak.
Deccan Chronicle quoted French Ambassador Alexandre Ziegler as saying:
Well, I have seen the report in the press. What can I tell you is that the French authorities are taking the matter very very seriously and working very seriously with DCNS, the French ship building company.
Australian media reported a leak of 22,400 pages that mention the number of submarines designed by DCNS for the Indian Navy.
Scorpene Submarines Data: Leak Not From Our Side, Says MDL
On Thursday, Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL), where the Scorpene submarines are being built, said the data leak did not take place at its end and that it was assisting the Navy in the probe. A day after the data leak came to light, an MDL official said there were stringent norms at MDL on data security.
We are helping Navy in the probe. We are certain the data leak was not from our side. It needs to be verified if the leaked documents are authentic. There are stringent norms at MDL on data security.MDL Official
MDL head Rear Admiral Rahul Shrawat was not available for comments.
French shipbuilder DCNS has provided technology for the Rs 23,562-crore project. MDL is scheduled to deliver the first of the six submarines to the Indian Navy early next year and the remaining are likely to be delivered by 2020. According to media reports, the documents running into 22,400 pages detail the combat capabilities of the French-designed Scorpene-class submarines.
The information was made public when The Australian, an Australian daily, put the details on their website.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had on Wednesday ordered the Navy Chief to investigate the “entire issue”. A report is also being sought from DCNS. “What I understand is there is a hacking. So we will find out all this,” Parrikar had said.
(Source: PTI and Deccan Chronicle)
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