Wrap-up: It is an open secret
All that you wanted to know about the submarine leak.
What is scorpene?
The scorpene is a conventional-propulsion submarine designed and developed by DCNS for all types of missions, such as surface vessel warfare, anti-submarine warfare, long-range strikes, special operations or intelligence gathering.
How many submarines India has?
India has a fleet of 13 ageing submarines, only half of which are operational at any time, opening up a major gap with China.
Current status of the subs
The submarines are being built at a state-run shipyard in Mumbai and the first one was expected to go into service by the year end.
What has happened?
Sensitive documents detailing the technical and stealth capabilities of Scorpene submarines project have been leaked.
What can the data be used for?
The data tells the submarine crew where on the boat they can speak safely to avoid detection by the enemy.
It also discloses magnetic, electromagnetic and infra-red data as well as the specifications of the submarines torpedo launch system and the combat system
It details the speed and conditions needed for using the periscope, the noise specifications of the propeller and the radiated noise levels that occur when the submarine surfaces.
Strategic problem
The breadth of detail in the documents creates a major strategic problem for India, Malaysia and Chile, all of which operate the same submarine.
Why is Australia concerned?
The leak has created fear in Australia about the future security of top-secret data on its navy’s future fleet, the Australian media reported as the French company had won the bid to design Australia’s new Australian Dollar 50 billion submarine fleet.
DC Take
Besides the regular security concern, if the submarine data leak underlines anything, that’s the importance of ‘Make in India’ programme which is vehemently being pushed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is high time that India stopped purchasing arms and weapons technology from abroad. After 70 years of Independence, the largest democracy in the world must be self-reliant in all security related aspects.