According to the Australian press, leak “mass” of technical documentation for conventional submarines of the Scorpene-type intervened. In all, more than 22,400 pages of information on the buildings sold in Chile, Malaysia, India and Brazil, were stale. With, according to The Australian, who claims to have had access thousands of pages of data, for example to combat systems, detection, navigation and communications, or weapons implementation systems. These data, which date from the period 2010/2011, apparently concern the Indian version of Scorpene.
DCNS says have “read the articles in the Australian press on sensitive leaked documents on the sub marine Scorpene India. A thorough investigation is conducted by the national safety authorities on this case. The investigation will determine the exact nature of the documents that were the subject of these leaks, the potential damage to our customers and the responsibilities. ” The group decided to make no further comment or speculation until the results of investigations.
The image of the French group
But there is already a clear potential for harm DCNS since this matter, and it is perhaps the goal of the maneuver sends a bad image of the tricolor group. It might indeed be to instill doubt on its ability to protect information relating to products considered strategic. Which would, of course, a boon to its competitors.
While behind DCNS is also in France that one takes the SGDSN (Secretariat-General for National Defence and Security), which depends on the Matignon and the services of the ministries of Defence and Interior were responsible for conducting the investigations on this very sensitive issue.
Check the authenticity of documents
this is not only to determine the origin of the leaks, but it probably evokes not enough, the veracity of the information contained in these famous documents: is it original or fake? Have they changed or manipulated and if so, what interest? What level of confidentiality is reached? These questions need to peel and check 22,400 pages. A mass that seems enormous presented as such, but is nevertheless far from being the whole of the literature related to such complex equipment as submarines and their equipment. At this stage it would be outside information “protected”, which therefore exclude the most sensitive data, “classified”, such as the acoustic signature of submarines. In addition, these items are not very recent, knowing that the Scorpene evolve over the years and that each country operates customer specific hardware. Despite this, and it makes sense for the government as DCNS, leaks of this nature are considered intolerable.
Who is behind the leak?
The survey also must determine on what scale the documents could be shared. And it will therefore also be used to expose the perpetrators and networks potentially involved: If there are isolated individuals who acted for profit? Are these leakages to the information submitted as part of a technology transfer? Are there a deliberate intention to harm the interests and DCNS French in particular, and if so who is the instigator and for what exact purpose? They are competitors in the shadows? State services Scorpene a client country can be part knowing that in some markets administrations disagree on the choice of foreign industrial and play into the hands of one or the other? The questions abound and the investigation is particularly delicate announcement, including diplomatically.
full negotiations with Australia for the “contract of the century”
Faced with this case who made a lot of noise, the French authorities are obviously interested in assuming a DCNS destabilization attempt. Because when these “leaks” occur and the country in which bursts the case are perhaps not accidental. They lend even to clear suspicion. The French naval group is, indeed, in the midst of negotiations with Australia to conclude the so-called “naval contract of the century”. This is the SEA 1000 program, which will see the construction of a new fleet of ocean submarines for the Royal Australian Navy, up to 12 submarines for an amount up to 50 billion Australian dollars (34 billion euros). We remember the Shortfin Barracuda French was chosen in April by Canberra at the end of a bitter competition between DCNS Germans and Japanese. However, this choice does not yet constitute a firm order.
He only allowed the French to enter a phase of exclusive discussions with Australia. Negotiations which should, if all goes well, lead to the signing of the famous contract, expected between late 2016 and 2017. But by then, and despite the crucial step taken by DCNS last spring, “the war continues” highlights are we to Paris, where it states that “the stakes are enormous and fierce competition in all markets in international competition. It is currently very true for new submarines that want to develop for example India and Norway. ” But in both cases, it is precisely the Scorpene family buildings. Projects that are, indeed, perhaps the real target of potential destabilization maneuvers to Australia.
An attempt to thwart new sales Scorpene?
DCNS, which has sold six such submarines for the Indian Navy (they are made of technology transfer in Mumbai, the first to be operational in 2017), works for extend the series. And the company also hopes to persuade the Norwegians to opt for the latest evolution of Scorpene to replace their six units of the Ula class. This major program, for which the choice of a design is expected to Oslo next year, sees again DCNS face a particularly tough competition, and even strengthened after his success in Australia. It is therefore permissible to ask whether the case “leakage” is not ultimately a new episode in a commercial campaign where all shots are allowed. There is no evidence to prove the time and, in France, even if we seriously ask the question, no one officially takes the risk to incriminate anyone.
the stakes around India
Among the tracks, it is also envisaged a more comprehensive maneuver to undermine the various offers on the French arms market, such as contract Indian Rafale Dassault Aviation continues to negotiate.
in this context, forward India as the origin of the “flight Scorpene” thesis advanced by some media or whispered in their ear, is a good way to sow discord between Paris and New Delhi. Such origin is perhaps not be excluded, all other tracks, but we must recognize that it is not clear what would be the interest of circulating abroad information about the submarines modern Indian fleet. Especially in the geostrategic environment currently prevailing in the Indian subcontinent to the south-east Asia.
“ The submarine that we will build with the French is totally different”
Finally it is emphasized that the distribution Scorpene of documents relating to Australia is all the more surprising that this submarine has no connection with the SEA 1000. Shortfin Barracuda program is indeed a distant model, as recalled by the Australian media first Minister Malcolm Turnbull: “the submarine that we will build with the French called the Barracuda, it is completely different from the Scorpene designed for the Indian navy.” Although larger, the design chosen by the Australians is other than a conventional version of the new nuclear submarines of French attack under construction in Cherbourg. As for the combat system and weapons, it will be of American origin, unlike the Scorpene sold for export by DCNS, which are in turn fitted with French equipment.
Scorpene : from the French-Spanish-French French
for the record, the Scorpene was originally a Franco-Spanish program, launched in the 90s It was initially prepared via bilateral cooperation renewal of old submarines Armada and, at the same time, enable DCNS to maintain competence in the export of conventional buildings, the Navy leaving only nuclear powered units. The French group and its Spanish partner, Navantia, won all their first contracts with Chile (1997) and Malaysia (2002). Two submarines were made for each navy yards Cherbourg Cadiz and sharing the work. Relations have soured between then French and Spanish, the latter deciding to develop in collaboration with US systems manufacturers their own model, the S80, four of which have been ordered in 2003 for the Armada. While India Scorpene program was notified in 2005, the conflict between DCNS and Navantia (the first accusing the latter to use certain of its technologies) worsened with the arrival of S80 as Scorpene competitor on the international market. It was not until November 2010 that the two manufacturers have terminated their dispute, DCNS retain exclusive marketing and realization of the Scorpene, meanwhile sold in Brazil (four copies ordered in 2009).
One of the world’s best underwater
Considered one of conventional submarines the most efficient and silent world, Scorpene has integrated over time many improvements and innovations. The latest is an independent propulsion (AIP) based on second-generation fuel cells. Developed in great secrecy by DCNS, which devotes very substantial resources to R & amp; D and testing for over 10 years, this new technology, ready to embark on the Scorpene, is considered by the French group as a decisive advantage over its competitors.
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