DCNS Files Complaint As Australian Newspaper Leaks More Submarine Data

Scorpene Submarine Data Leak: Australian Paper Uploads New Set of Leaked Documents

NEW DELHI --- The Australian newspaper uploaded a fresh tranche of leaked documents relating to information about operating instructions of underwater warfare system of the six Scorpene submarines which are being built in India.

The second document leak in a row reveals that the ultra-secret details of India's Scorpene submarines are out in the open.

Meanwhile, the Indian Navy officials have also taken up the Scorpene document leak matter with France's Directorate General of Armament.

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

-- The new set of documents, with Indian Navy insignia on it and marked "Restricted Scorpene India", gives details about the sonar system of the submarines which is used to gather intelligence underwater.

-- The documents talks about a wide range of technical specifications of the sonars and at what degree and frequency it will function.

-- The papers detail the "Operating Instruction Manual", which talks about how to select a target for weapon firing, weapon configuration selection, among others.

-- The Indian Navy has not yet officially reacted to the release of new documents, sources maintained that it does not compromise national security.

-- They said the same information about a submarine was on "many naval defence websites".

-- "On the face of it, these documents are basic operating manual. You buy any goods from the market, it will come with an operating manual," defence analyst Commodore Uday Bhaskar (Retd), Director of Society of Policy Studies said.

-- The paper said it has been told that the secret data was removed from DCNS by a former sub-contractor in 2011 and taken to a private company in Southeast Asia before being passed on to a branch of that company in a second Southeast Asian nation.

-- In the wake of leak of documents relating to India's Scorpene project, Australia has told French shipbuilding firm DCNS that it will demand the same level of information security on the new submarine project like it enjoys with its closest ally, the US.

-- Meanwhile, Navy said it has taken up the Scorpene document leak matter with France's Directorate General of Armament and has asked the French govt to investigate the incident.

-- More than 22,000 pages of top secret data on the capabilities of six highly-advanced submarines being built for the Indian Navy were leaked on Wednesday.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: As noted above, the leaked documents are marked “Restricted,” which is the lowest level of classification, and is often described as material which could cause "undesirable effects" if made public. In the private sector, it is known as "private information".
It is definitely not the “ultra-secret” material breathlessly described by the general media, and its significance does not go beyond illustrating DCNS’ seemingly offhand approach to handling protected information.)

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SYDNEY/PARIS --- French naval contractor DCNS said on Wednesday it may have been the victim of "economic warfare" after secrets about its Scorpene submarines being built in India were leaked.

India opened an investigation after The Australian newspaper published documents relating to the submarine's combat capabilities, raising concerns over another major contract with Australia.

The leak contains more than 22,000 pages outlining the details of six submarines that DCNS has designed for the Indian Navy.

"I understand there has been a case of hacking," Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told reporters. "We will find out what has happened."

The submarines are being built at a state-run shipyard in Mumbai and the first one was expected to go into service by the end of the year, the first step in the Indian navy's effort to rebuild its dwindling fleet.

The leak has raised doubts about the security of DCNS's submarine project in Australia where it is locked in exclusive negotiations after seeing off rivals for a A$50 billion ($38 billion) contract to build the Barracuda next generation of submarines.

DCNS, which is 35 percent owned by Thales (TCFP.PA), said it was working to determine if any harm had been caused to clients with a view to drawing up an action plan.

Asked if the leak could affect other contracts, a company spokeswoman said it had come against a difficult commercial backdrop and that corporate espionage could be to blame. (end of excerpt)

Click here for the full story, on the Reuters website.

(EDITOR’S NOTE: DCNS has filed a complaint for breach of trust after a massive leak of documents concerning six Scorpene submarines it is building for India, a spokesman for the shipbuilder told Reuters Aug. 26.
"We filed a complaint against unknown persons for breach of trust with the Paris prosecutor on Thursday afternoon," the DCNS spokesman said.)

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