“The documents that have been posted on the website by an Australian news agency have been examined and do not pose any security compromise as the vital parameters have been blacked out”.
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The government thinks that the leak of the detailed plans for the stealth submarines of the Indian Navy, built by the French military manufacturer DCNS (in which the French government has majority stakes), is a matter of serious concern.
The latest information comes in the backdrop of reports suggesting that a former French naval officer working as a sub-contractor for the DCNS might be behind the leak of data which were written in France in 2011. A high-level committee constituted by the Defence Ministry and the Indian Navy is taking all necessary steps to mitigate any probable security compromise, they said.
New Delhi, Aug 26 A new set of leaked documents on India’s Scorpene submarines was published by Australian newspaper “The Australian” on Thursday revealing functional description, including the cylindrical and flank array, sonar interception and a number of other details on the boat.
“It is not a leak, it is theft”, the source said. “We have not found any DCNS negligence, but we have identified some dishonesty by an individual”.
The French government source said security procedures would be strengthened for all employees going to work in Australia to ensure one person did not have access to so many documents.
Questioning India’s defence preparedness following the leak of details related to the French-made Scorpene submarine, the Congress on Thursday asked the Centre to form an independent probe body, or let the Supreme Court investigate the matter.
“Not at all”, the source said. “This investigation will determine the exact nature of the leaked documents, the potential damages to DCNS customers as well as the responsibilities for this leakage”, the company said.
Incidentally, the DCNS inked a $38 billion dollar (Aus$50 billion) deal two months ago for building 12 submarines for the Australian Navy.
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Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar initially told reporters that the publication appeared to be the result of a “hacking” incident, and a spokeswoman for DCNS told Reuters Wednesday that the contractor may have been the victim of “economic espionage”. “None of the 22,400 docs are redacted, all sensitive figures are there in full”, he said in a tweet.
