Sensitive data on India's Scorpene submarines hacked, says Manohar Parrikar

"I understand there has been a hacking...we will identify (it)," Parrikar said
Sensitive data on India's Scorpene submarines hacked, says  Manohar Parrikar
Sensitive data on India's Scorpene submarines hacked, says Manohar Parrikar
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Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said that sensitive data of India's Scorpene class submarines were hacked on Wednesday in the wake of an Australian media report claimed that sensitive data of India's Scorpene class submarines were compromised.

"I understand there has been a hacking...we will identify (it)," said Parrikar.

"The Navy Chief (Admiral Sunil Lanba) has been asked to analyse what exactly has been leaked," the minister said, adding his first assessment was that it was an act of hacking and not a 100-per cent leak. "We do have our final integration and all that," he said.

"What I can understand -- because it came to my knowledge around 12 am -- is there is a hacking. So we will find out all these aspects," he said. "I've told the navy chief to find out all the details. Mayby, in a couple of days I'll be able share with you," he added.

This poses serious threat to the Indian Navy’s stealth weapons stealth, enemy detection systems have been compromised and Parrikar has sought a report from the Navy on the issue.

The Indian Navy said it is analysing the leak of data related to Scorpene submarines, adding that the source of leak is not from this country on Wednesday.

In an official statement the Navy said: "The available information is being examined at Integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defence (Navy) and an analysis is being carried out by the concerned specialists."

"It appears that the source of leak is from overseas and not in India," the statement said.

TV reports cited sources saying that corporate espoinage mighted have been the cause of this 'hacking' as an Australian company missed out on the contract.


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Australian media on Tuesday reported the data with French shipbuilder DCNS which designs the submarine were leaked (documents spreading over 22,000 pages) on Tuesday.

According to a report in The Australian, DCNS, which recently won a contract to design 12 submarines for Australia, includes details of submarine's underwater sensors, above-water sensors, combat management system, torpedo launch system and specifications, communications system and navigation systems.

Variants of Scorpene submarines are also used by Malaysia and Chile with Brazil to join the club soon.

First of the Scorpene class submarines being built in India Kalvari went for sea trials in May, 2016 and is expected to be inducted in the Indian Navy soon.

Indian Navy officials have said the six submarines, once inducted, would form the core of the Navy's submarine arm for the next two decades.

According to the report, DCNS has said that such a leak of technical data could not happen with its proposed submarine for Australia.

The DCNS also implied that the leak might have occurred at India's end, rather than from France.

"Uncontrolled technical data is not possible in the Australian Aarrangements," the company said as per the report in The Australian.

"Multiple and independent controls exist within DCNS to prevent unauthorised access to data and all data movements are encrypted and recorded. In the case of India, where a DCNS design is built by a local company, DCNS is the provider and not the controller of technical data," it said.

(With IANS and PTI inputs)

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