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| The 1st Indian Scorpene class Submarine before launch |
India is going ahead with the commissioning of its Scorpene submarines despite a data leak about its generic features.
New Delhi (Sputnik) – India is putting up a brave front on the leak of data about Scorpene submarines but will set up a joint committee with France to consider changes if any of the configurations have been compromised.
“We will see if have to make changes on the platforms. But the leaked data dates to the pre-2010 period. It does not have details on the armament. There is no critical leak," Indian Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba told the media on Friday.
India’s much-delayed project to locally assemble six Scorpene submarines seemed to have come back on track when a whistleblower disgorged 22,400 pages of its generic details to an Australian newspaper. The data leak about the submarine’s stealth capabilities and sonar has compelled an Indian government probe.
After five months of rigorous investigations, India has decided to set up joint group with France to consider changes in Scorpene class submarine platforms, if required. Sources told Sputnik that the Government yet to finalize the investigating partner; whether it would be the French government or the original manufacturers DCNS.
India has played down the data leak even as the first submarine is undergoing sea trials and the second is scheduled for launch. The remaining four submarines are in different stages of construction.
The Navy’s concern is more on the four-year delay in adding to its force levels and in ensuring the on-time commissioning of the remaining four submarines.
This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.