France's DCNS, builder of Australia's new submarines, suffers huge data leak

The leak contains more than 22,000 pages outlining the secret combat capability of six submarines that DCNS has designed for the Indian Navy.

File photo of Malaysia's first submarine, "KD Tunku Abdul Rahman", a Scorpene-class diesel-electric submarine, docks in Port Klang outside Kuala Lumpur September 3, 2009. REUTERS/Bazuki Muhammad/Files

The French shipbuilder which earlier this year won a A$50 billion ($38.06 billion) contract to build Australia's next generation of submarines has suffered a massive data leak, raising doubts about the security of one of the world's biggest defence projects.

France's DCNS Group beat out Germany's ThyssenKrupp AG and a Japanese-government backed bid by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, in a blow to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's push to develop defence export capabilities as part of a more muscular security agenda.

The leak, which was first reported in The Australian on Wednesday, contains more than 22,000 pages outlining the secret combat capability of six submarines that DCNS has designed for the Indian Navy.

The documents cover the Scorpene-class model and do not contain any details of the vessel currently being designed for the Australian fleet.

"As a serious matter pertaining to the Indian Scorpene programme, French national authorities for defence security will formally investigate and determine the exact nature of the leaked documents," a DCNS spokeswoman said in a statement. (more)