Do the revelations pose a security threat? The Indian Navy is yet to react to the release of new documents.
The Australian on Thursday uploaded a new set of documents on the Indian Navy Scorpene Submarine on its website, with detailed description of its underwater warfare system. This is the second set of documents on the vessels that are being built in India by French firm DCNS, however, the publication has blacked out crucial details given that it could prove detrimental to India's defence.
The documents relate to information about operating instructions of underwater warfare system of the six Scorpene submarines which are being built in India by French firm DCNS.
It talks about a wide range of technical specifications of the sonars and at what degree and frequency it will function. The documents detail the "Operating Instruction Manual", which talks about how to select a target for weapon firing, weapon configuration selection, among others.
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. A disk containing the data filed was then posted in regular mail to a company in Australia.
Security threat?
India's national security could be gravely compromised following leaks of the entire design plans and specifications of the Scorpene submarine, containing 22,400 pages of the 'project 75' carrying the emblem of the Indian navy.
Though the Navy has not yet officially reacted to the release of new documents, PTI 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 told PTI.
What the first leak revealed:
- 4,301 pages of combat management system and 493 pages of torpedo systems
- The secret stealth capabilities of the six Scorpene submarines.
- 4, 457 pages of submarines underwater sensors and 4, 209 pages of submarines above water sensors.
- 6, 841 pages of the Scorpene submarines communications systems.
- The diving depth range details.
- Magnetic, electromagnetic and infrared data of the six submarines.
- Frequencies at which the submarines gather intelligence.
- Details of speed and conditions needed to use the periscope for the submarine.
- The noise specifications of the submarine's propellers.
- Radiated noise levels that occur when submarines surface, level of noise at various speed, places where submarine crew can speak to avoid detection by enemy have also been leaked.
How the events unfolded
On Tuesday, a report in Australian media revealed that sensitive information related to India's Scorpene submarines had been leaked, with French shipbuilder DCNS, which designed the submarine, facing a leak of documents spreading over 22,000 pages. According to The Australian, the leak details the entire secret combat capability of the six Scorpene-class submarines that French shipbuilder DCNS has designed for the Indian Navy.
On Wednesday, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar asked Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba to analyse the extent of the leak and find out whether it is related to India or not. Parrikar said the government would come out with more information over the next couple of days.
The Indian Navy on Thursday informed that documents posted on the website by The Australian, don't pose any security compromise as vital parameters have been blacked out. "Matter has been taken up with the DG of Armaments of the French Government. We have requested their government to investigate with urgency and share findings with India. An internal audit of procedures to rule out any security compromise is also being undertaken," the Navy said.
With inputs from ANI/PTI.
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