• Home
  • About RSIS
    • Introduction
    • Building the Foundations
    • Welcome Message
    • Board of Governors
    • Staff Profiles
      • Executive Deputy Chairman’s Office
      • Dean’s Office
      • Management
      • Distinguished Fellows
      • Faculty and Research
      • Associate Research Fellows, Senior Analysts and Research Analysts
      • Visiting Fellows
      • Adjunct Fellows
      • Administrative Staff
    • Honours and Awards for RSIS Staff and Students
    • RSIS Endowment Fund
    • Endowed Professorships
    • Career Opportunities
    • Getting to RSIS
  • Research
    • Research Centres
      • Centre for Multilateralism Studies (CMS)
      • Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre)
      • Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS)
      • Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS)
      • International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR)
    • Research Programmes
      • National Security Studies Programme (NSSP)
      • Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme
    • Future Issues and Technology Cluster
    • [email protected] Newsletter
    • Other Research
      • Science and Technology Studies Programme (STSP) (2017-2020)
  • Graduate Education
    • Graduate Programmes Office
    • Overview
    • MSc (Asian Studies)
    • MSc (International Political Economy)
    • MSc (International Relations)
    • MSc (Strategic Studies)
    • NTU-Warwick Double Masters Programme
    • PhD Programme
    • Exchange Partners and Programmes
    • How to Apply
    • Financial Assistance
    • Meet the Admissions Team: Information Sessions and other events
    • RSIS Alumni
  • Alumni & Networks
    • Alumni
    • Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO)
    • Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO)
    • International Strategy Forum-Asia (ISF-Asia)
    • SRP Executive Programme
    • Terrorism Analyst Training Course (TATC)
  • Publications
    • RSIS Publications
      • Annual Reviews
      • Books
      • Bulletins and Newsletters
      • Commentaries
      • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
      • Commemorative / Event Reports
      • IDSS Paper
      • Interreligious Relations
      • Monographs
      • NTS Insight
      • Policy Reports
      • Working Papers
      • RSIS Publications for the Year
    • Glossary of Abbreviations
    • External Publications
      • Authored Books
      • Journal Articles
      • Edited Books
      • Chapters in Edited Books
      • Policy Reports
      • Working Papers
      • Op-Eds
      • External Publications for the Year
    • Policy-relevant Articles Given RSIS Award
  • Media
    • Great Powers
    • Sustainable Security
    • Other Resource Pages
    • Media Highlights
    • News Releases
    • Speeches
    • Vidcast Channel
    • Audio/Video Forums
  • Events
  • Giving
  • Contact Us
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
RSISVideoCast RSISVideoCast rsis.sg
Linkedin
instagram instagram rsis.sg
RSS
  • Home
  • About RSIS
      • Introduction
      • Building the Foundations
      • Welcome Message
      • Board of Governors
      • Staff Profiles
        • Executive Deputy Chairman’s Office
        • Dean’s Office
        • Management
        • Distinguished Fellows
        • Faculty and Research
        • Associate Research Fellows, Senior Analysts and Research Analysts
        • Visiting Fellows
        • Adjunct Fellows
        • Administrative Staff
      • Honours and Awards for RSIS Staff and Students
      • RSIS Endowment Fund
      • Endowed Professorships
      • Career Opportunities
      • Getting to RSIS
  • Research
      • Research Centres
        • Centre for Multilateralism Studies (CMS)
        • Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies (NTS Centre)
        • Centre of Excellence for National Security (CENS)
        • Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS)
        • International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR)
      • Research Programmes
        • National Security Studies Programme (NSSP)
        • Studies in Inter-Religious Relations in Plural Societies (SRP) Programme
      • Future Issues and Technology Cluster
      • [email protected] Newsletter
      • Other Research
        • Science and Technology Studies Programme (STSP) (2017-2020)
  • Graduate Education
      • Graduate Programmes Office
      • Overview
      • MSc (Asian Studies)
      • MSc (International Political Economy)
      • MSc (International Relations)
      • MSc (Strategic Studies)
      • NTU-Warwick Double Masters Programme
      • PhD Programme
      • Exchange Partners and Programmes
      • How to Apply
      • Financial Assistance
      • Meet the Admissions Team: Information Sessions and other events
      • RSIS Alumni
  • Alumni & Networks
      • Alumni
      • Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers (APPSMO)
      • Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior National Security Officers (APPSNO)
      • International Strategy Forum-Asia (ISF-Asia)
      • SRP Executive Programme
      • Terrorism Analyst Training Course (TATC)
  • Publications
      • RSIS Publications
        • Annual Reviews
        • Books
        • Bulletins and Newsletters
        • Commentaries
        • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
        • Commemorative / Event Reports
        • IDSS Paper
        • Interreligious Relations
        • Monographs
        • NTS Insight
        • Policy Reports
        • Working Papers
        • RSIS Publications for the Year
      • Glossary of Abbreviations
      • External Publications
        • Authored Books
        • Journal Articles
        • Edited Books
        • Chapters in Edited Books
        • Policy Reports
        • Working Papers
        • Op-Eds
        • External Publications for the Year
      • Policy-relevant Articles Given RSIS Award
  • Media
      • Great Powers
      • Sustainable Security
      • Other Resource Pages
      • Media Highlights
      • News Releases
      • Speeches
      • Vidcast Channel
      • Audio/Video Forums
  • Events
  • Giving
  • Contact Us
  • instagram instagram rsis.sg
Connect

Getting to RSIS

Map

Address

Nanyang Technological University
Block S4, Level B3,
50 Nanyang Avenue,
Singapore 639798

View location on Google maps Click here for directions to RSIS

Get in Touch

    Connect with Us

      rsis.ntu
      rsis_ntu
      rsisntu
    RSISVideoCast RSISVideoCast rsisvideocast
      school/rsis-ntu
    instagram instagram rsis.sg
      RSS
    Subscribe to RSIS Publications
    Subscribe to RSIS Events

    RSIS Intranet

    S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Think Tank and Graduate School Ponder The Improbable Since 1966
    Nanyang Technological University Nanyang Technological University

    Skip to content

     
    • RSIS
    • Publication
    • RSIS Publications
    • CO16263 | The Great Scorpene Leak: Prospects for India’s Submarine Programmes
    • Annual Reviews
    • Books
    • Bulletins and Newsletters
    • Commentaries
    • Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses
    • Commemorative / Event Reports
    • IDSS Paper
    • Interreligious Relations
    • Monographs
    • NTS Insight
    • Policy Reports
    • Working Papers
    • RSIS Publications for the Year

    CO16263 | The Great Scorpene Leak: Prospects for India’s Submarine Programmes
    Sarosh Bana

    20 October 2016

    download pdf
    RSIS Commentary is a platform to provide timely and, where appropriate, policy-relevant commentary and analysis of topical and contemporary issues. The authors’ views are their own and do not represent the official position of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), NTU. These commentaries may be reproduced with prior permission from RSIS and due credit to the author(s) and RSIS. Please email to Editor RSIS Commentary at [email protected].

    Synopsis

    India’s submarine construction programme has been jeopardised by a major data leak of its French-designed Scorpene submarines. The future of its new generation submarines under the Project 75 (India) contract has also been thrown into doubt.

    Commentary

    INDIA’S SUBMARINE construction programme has been given unwelcome exposure by the wide-ranging data leak of its French-origin Scorpene submarines by The Australian newspaper. It has also raised questions about the Indian Navy’s Project 75 (India) for the construction of six new generation stealth diesel-electric submarines.

    The 22,400 leaked pages, hosted on the New South Wales paper’s website on 24 and 25 August 2016, detailed the combat capabilities of the Scorpene 2000 SSK diesel-electric hunter/killer submarines. Six of these vessels are being built under the Indian Navy’s Project 75’S 2005 Transfer of Technology agreement between DCNS, the French contractor in naval defence, and the Mumbai-based state-owned shipyard Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL). The first of this series, construction on which began at the MDL Yard in December 2006, was to have been launched in September 2016 but is now delayed, its commissioning scheduled a year after its launch, with subsequent boats to be delivered at intervals of nine months.

    Scorpene Programme Behind Schedule

    The programme is running four years behind schedule, its original contract cost of US$2.63 billion in 2010 having spiralled to $3.8 billion. The cost includes a $1 billion Technical Data Package for MDL to gain competence in submarine construction, especially in the field of hull fabrication, outfitting and system integration.

    Besides the question whether India’s security is under threat as a result of the data leak, another question concerns the motive of The Australian in exposing a friendly nation’s defence agenda, Indian commentators opined. Coincidentally, Canberra in April awarded the same French defence contractor DCNS a $38 billion (AU$50 billion) contract to design and build 12 new -generation submarines. That was after the Type 216 diesel-electric submarine of the German defence contractor, Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems (TKMS), lost out to DCNS’ Shortfin Barracuda in the bidding for the Australia contract.

    Indian naval authorities downplayed the leak of the Scorpene submarines affirming it did not compromise national security. They viewed the issue as a temporary setback, noting that it involved largely generic data and information removed in 2011. However, such comprehensive disclosure as by The Australian would divulge confidential information and provide convenient levers to a rival company as well as to a rival navy.

    Turnbull’s Concern

    Though he termed the leak as one of “concern”, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull did not refer to the damage it might cause India’s defences or even The Australian’s culpability in this regard; he instead specified that the Indian Scorpene was a model different from the one Australia was buying. According to DCNS, the 97-metre 4000-tonne Shortfin Barracuda designed for the Australian Navy was the world’s most advanced conventionally powered submarine with state of the art technology, propulsion and hydroplanes and most powerful sonar.

    India has taken up the matter with the French Government, requesting it to investigate it with urgency. It was not a leak, said a naval official, but a theft that took place overseas. They had not found any DCNS negligence, but identified some dishonesty by an individual. The Australian reported the secret data were stealthily drawn from DCNS by a former sub-contractor in 2011 and taken to a private company in Southeast Asia before being passed on to a branch of that company in a second Southeast Asian nation. A compact disk containing the data was then posted in regular mail to a company in Australia.

    DCNS took the issue to the highest court of New South Wales that directed The Australian to withdraw the documents published on its website and desist from publishing any additional documents. DCNS also filed a complaint against unknown persons for breach of trust before the Paris Public Prosecutor. The French contractor is perturbed.

    Apart from having set up its subsidiary DCNS India in Mumbai for building the Scorpene, it is now establishing another fully-owned subsidiary to produce Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology for submarines. The AIP allows a non-nuclear submarine to remain under water three times longer than one without it. An AIP is under indigenous development by the Indian Naval Material Research Laboratory. The AIP might be subsequently retrofitted during the scheduled major overhaul on the Scorpene.

    DCNS Bidding For Project 75(I)

    DCNS seeks to produce an AIP in India that would be deployed in all future submarines in the country. DCNS is also keen on bidding for the $11.1 billion Project 75 (I) contract for the construction of six new generation stealth diesel-electric submarines. Defence-oriented enterprises with warship-building facilities are priming themselves for the bidding for the tender to build the submarines in India at recognised shipyards. The Indian Navy has scotched speculation of a follow-on order to DCNS for the construction of three more Scorpenes.

    Meanwhile, Germany’s TKMS is negotiating with India for a possible government to government deal for six of its 1,800 tonne Type 214 diesel-electric submarines that are equipped with AIP systems developed by Siemens and based on polymet electrolyte membrane hydrogen fuel cells. Germany has been keen on supplying its submarines to India. TKMS is expected to bid for the P-75(I) tender for which competition will be fierce from Spain, Sweden, Russia and Japan. TKMS will no doubt redouble its effort in India after failing to back the Australian deal that went to DCNS.

    In rejecting the TKMS bid, Canberra informed Berlin that its 3,810-tonne Type 216 submarine that it had offered had an “unacceptable level of radiated noise”. It was reported that DCNS, the successful French bidder, had managed to influence Australian officials about the noise levels of the TKMS submarine.

    About the Author

    Sarosh Bana is Executive Editor of Business India. He contributed this to RSIS Commentary.

    Categories: Commentaries / / East Asia and Asia Pacific / Europe / Southeast Asia and ASEAN

    Last updated on 20/10/2016

    RSIS Commentary is a platform to provide timely and, where appropriate, policy-relevant commentary and analysis of topical and contemporary issues. The authors’ views are their own and do not represent the official position of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), NTU. These commentaries may be reproduced with prior permission from RSIS and due credit to the author(s) and RSIS. Please email to Editor RSIS Commentary at [email protected].

    Synopsis

    India’s submarine construction programme has been jeopardised by a major data leak of its French-designed Scorpene submarines. The future of its new generation submarines under the Project 75 (India) contract has also been thrown into doubt.

    Commentary

    INDIA’S SUBMARINE construction programme has been given unwelcome exposure by the wide-ranging data leak of its French-origin Scorpene submarines by The Australian newspaper. It has also raised questions about the Indian Navy’s Project 75 (India) for the construction of six new generation stealth diesel-electric submarines.

    The 22,400 leaked pages, hosted on the New South Wales paper’s website on 24 and 25 August 2016, detailed the combat capabilities of the Scorpene 2000 SSK diesel-electric hunter/killer submarines. Six of these vessels are being built under the Indian Navy’s Project 75’S 2005 Transfer of Technology agreement between DCNS, the French contractor in naval defence, and the Mumbai-based state-owned shipyard Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL). The first of this series, construction on which began at the MDL Yard in December 2006, was to have been launched in September 2016 but is now delayed, its commissioning scheduled a year after its launch, with subsequent boats to be delivered at intervals of nine months.

    Scorpene Programme Behind Schedule

    The programme is running four years behind schedule, its original contract cost of US$2.63 billion in 2010 having spiralled to $3.8 billion. The cost includes a $1 billion Technical Data Package for MDL to gain competence in submarine construction, especially in the field of hull fabrication, outfitting and system integration.

    Besides the question whether India’s security is under threat as a result of the data leak, another question concerns the motive of The Australian in exposing a friendly nation’s defence agenda, Indian commentators opined. Coincidentally, Canberra in April awarded the same French defence contractor DCNS a $38 billion (AU$50 billion) contract to design and build 12 new -generation submarines. That was after the Type 216 diesel-electric submarine of the German defence contractor, Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems (TKMS), lost out to DCNS’ Shortfin Barracuda in the bidding for the Australia contract.

    Indian naval authorities downplayed the leak of the Scorpene submarines affirming it did not compromise national security. They viewed the issue as a temporary setback, noting that it involved largely generic data and information removed in 2011. However, such comprehensive disclosure as by The Australian would divulge confidential information and provide convenient levers to a rival company as well as to a rival navy.

    Turnbull’s Concern

    Though he termed the leak as one of “concern”, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull did not refer to the damage it might cause India’s defences or even The Australian’s culpability in this regard; he instead specified that the Indian Scorpene was a model different from the one Australia was buying. According to DCNS, the 97-metre 4000-tonne Shortfin Barracuda designed for the Australian Navy was the world’s most advanced conventionally powered submarine with state of the art technology, propulsion and hydroplanes and most powerful sonar.

    India has taken up the matter with the French Government, requesting it to investigate it with urgency. It was not a leak, said a naval official, but a theft that took place overseas. They had not found any DCNS negligence, but identified some dishonesty by an individual. The Australian reported the secret data were stealthily drawn from DCNS by a former sub-contractor in 2011 and taken to a private company in Southeast Asia before being passed on to a branch of that company in a second Southeast Asian nation. A compact disk containing the data was then posted in regular mail to a company in Australia.

    DCNS took the issue to the highest court of New South Wales that directed The Australian to withdraw the documents published on its website and desist from publishing any additional documents. DCNS also filed a complaint against unknown persons for breach of trust before the Paris Public Prosecutor. The French contractor is perturbed.

    Apart from having set up its subsidiary DCNS India in Mumbai for building the Scorpene, it is now establishing another fully-owned subsidiary to produce Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology for submarines. The AIP allows a non-nuclear submarine to remain under water three times longer than one without it. An AIP is under indigenous development by the Indian Naval Material Research Laboratory. The AIP might be subsequently retrofitted during the scheduled major overhaul on the Scorpene.

    DCNS Bidding For Project 75(I)

    DCNS seeks to produce an AIP in India that would be deployed in all future submarines in the country. DCNS is also keen on bidding for the $11.1 billion Project 75 (I) contract for the construction of six new generation stealth diesel-electric submarines. Defence-oriented enterprises with warship-building facilities are priming themselves for the bidding for the tender to build the submarines in India at recognised shipyards. The Indian Navy has scotched speculation of a follow-on order to DCNS for the construction of three more Scorpenes.

    Meanwhile, Germany’s TKMS is negotiating with India for a possible government to government deal for six of its 1,800 tonne Type 214 diesel-electric submarines that are equipped with AIP systems developed by Siemens and based on polymet electrolyte membrane hydrogen fuel cells. Germany has been keen on supplying its submarines to India. TKMS is expected to bid for the P-75(I) tender for which competition will be fierce from Spain, Sweden, Russia and Japan. TKMS will no doubt redouble its effort in India after failing to back the Australian deal that went to DCNS.

    In rejecting the TKMS bid, Canberra informed Berlin that its 3,810-tonne Type 216 submarine that it had offered had an “unacceptable level of radiated noise”. It was reported that DCNS, the successful French bidder, had managed to influence Australian officials about the noise levels of the TKMS submarine.

    About the Author

    Sarosh Bana is Executive Editor of Business India. He contributed this to RSIS Commentary.

    Categories: Commentaries

    Last updated on 20/10/2016

    Back to top

    Terms of Use | Privacy Statement
    Copyright © S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. All rights reserved.
    This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. By continuing, you are agreeing to the use of cookies on your device as described in our privacy policy. Learn more
    OK
    Latest Book
    CO16263 | The Great Scorpene Leak: Prospects for India’s Submarine Programmes

    Synopsis

    India’s submarine construction programme has been jeopardised by a major data leak of its French-designed Scorpene submarines. The future of its new ge ...
    more info