Scorpene submarines data leak poses no security threat

The Indian Navy said Friday that the documents posted by an Australian news website pertaining to Scorpene submarines do not pose any security threat.

"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," reads a statement issued by the Indian Navy.

The statement has come after news website "The Australian" uploaded fresh data pertaining to India's Scorpene submarines. The new data gives information about operating instructions of underwater warfare system of the six Scorpene submarines being built in India by French shipbuilder DCNS.

The Indian authorities said they have taken up the matter with the French government, urging them to investigate the leak.

"The Indian Navy has taken up the matter with Director General of Armament of the French government expressing concern over this incident and has requested the French government to investigate this incident with urgency and share their findings with the Indian side," the statement said.

The Indian Navy has also ordered an internal audit of procedures to rule out any security compromise, officials said.

On Tuesday evening the first set of sensitive data of more than 22,000 classified pages pertaining to India's Scorpene submarines was leaked. The massive data leak revealed the detailed information about the combat capability of the Scorpene submarines.

So far it is unclear whether the leak occurred in India or in France and how the Australian media obtained the confidential documents.

India signed a 3.5 billion U.S. dollars deal with French manufacturer DCNS for six Scorpene submarines in 2005 to be built in Mumbai with an Indian government-owned shipbuilder.

India's Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar has sought a report from the Indian Navy chief on the leak.

A DCNS spokeswoman earlier described the leak as "a serious matter" and said the French authorities would formally investigate the matter.

Source : XINHUA