IAF Team to Visit France to Probe Possible Data Theft During Rafale Office Break-in

India has sent a team to France to probe the “break-in” into its Rafale project management team’s office in the suburbs of Paris in France on May 19, in what was possibly an espionage attempt to steal data related to the fighters being acquired by the IAF.

Defence sources say the team of forensic and other experts will examine if any documents were stolen or photocopied and whether a critical computer hard disc was “accessed” during the break-in at the IAF office, which is situated within the larger building complex of Rafale-manufacturer Dassault Aviation at the Saint-Cloud suburb of Paris.

“The French Police is investigating the break-in, which saw the unidentified burglars even use crow-bars to prise open some safes in Dassault’s office. It’s difficult to say whether they were interested in money or confidential documents,” said a source.

As was reported by TOI earlier, the technical specifications of the 13 India-Specific Enhancements (ISEs) or upgrades on the Rafale fighters, which are also capable of delivering nuclear weapons, are considered highly sensitive and confidential.

These ISEs, which have cost India around Euro 1.3 billion for their “non-recurring” design and development cost, range from radar enhancements, Israeli helmet-mounted displays and low-band jammers to towed decoy systems, and the engine capability for “cold start” from high-altitude regions.

The IAF project team, headed by a Group Captain, is stationed in France to oversee the production timelines of the 36 Rafale jets being acquired under the overall Euro 7.8 billion (Rs 59,000 crore) contract inked in September 2016 as well as the training of the initial lot of pilots and technicians.

The two Rafale squadrons (18 jets each) are to be based at Ambala (Haryana) and Hasimara (West Bengal) to cater for Pakistan and China, respectively, after they are delivered in the November 2019-April 2022 timeframe.

Source: TNN

Image Courtesy: Le Parisien