New Delhi: Faced with depleting underwater fighting capabilities, this was something that the Indian Navy was waiting for with bated breath. Labelled as a cutting-edge defence technology product with a deadly arsenal of Exocet missiles and Black Shark torpedoes, the stealth capability of the diesel-electrical submarine Scorpene-class submarine was a much-touted feature.
All that came crashing down on Wednesday, setting the corridors of South Block abuzz when the submarine’s capabilities, strengths and weaknesses stood exposed as 22,484 pages of top-secret and sensitive data of India’s Scorpene submarines project — built at a massive cost of Rs 23,500 crore ($3.5 billion) — hit the public domain, setting off alarm bells in India’s defence and security establishment.
First reported on Tuesday in The Australian newspaper, the information revealed includes 6,841 pages on the submarines’ communications system, 4,457 pages on underwater sensors, 4,301 pages on its combat management system, 4,209 pages on above-water sensors, 2,138 on navigation systems and 493 pages on its torpedo launch system and specifications. The information fleshes out details of the speed and conditions needed to use the periscope, the propeller’s noise specifications and the radiated noise levels that occur when the submarine surfaces, the levels of noise they make at various speeds and their diving depths, range and endurance. The six-submarine project is a joint collaboration between state-owned Mazagaon Dock Ship Builders and French shipbuilder DCNS.
What was leaked?
Details of submarine’s underwater sensors, above-water sensors, combat management system, torpedo launch system and other specifications.
Scorpene
The first of the Scorpene class submarines being built in India — Kalvari — went for trials in May.
INS Kalvari to be inducted into the Navy later this year.
Six submarines would form the core of the submarine arm for the next 20 years after the induction.
France-based DCNS is the technology provider, while India’s MDL is the builder.
Where it operates
Operates in all areas including the Tropics. It can undertake multifarious types of missions and also anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, etc.
Opposition calls it a scandal
Terming as “scandalous” the Scorpene submarine project leak, the Congress on Wednesday demanded a complete security audit of the defence ministry by a sitting Supreme Court judge even as it accused defence minister Mano-har Parrikar of launching an “operation cover-up”.
The audit could be in the form of a commission of inquiry and should fix responsibility of the political executive, the party’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.
Dubbing it as the “biggest defence disaster” of recent times, he said it has jeopardised the sole initiative to build six Sco-rpene submarines in collaboration with French company DCNS by MDL at Mumbai.
