Emblem of Russian Military Intelligence (GRU). Having not covered itself in glory after underestimating Ukrainian resistance, the GRU would dearly love French Barracuda SSN secrets, via any sources. (Image courtesy Espfutbol98 via Wikipedia).
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In response to Anonymous’ comment of April 19, 2022.
You make some very valid points on Russia being over-ambitious in its economic ability to fund an ongoing military superpower position.
Russia helps supply India with a whole range of weapon systems. I consider the most important weapons help Russia provides as being:
1. Data from past Soviet two stage thermonuclear tests. India uses them for computer simulations. That way India has not needed to risk further international censure, which would have occurred if India had needed to conduct thermonuclear tests itself. This is after criticism of India's and Pakistan's May 1998 nuclear tests. Meanwhile Pakistan uses Chinese test results in simulations.
2. Missile designs. Probably involving the Agni nuclear missile series and definitely the Oniks derived BrahMos program, and
3. Nuclear submarines, including the reactors. Hence former Prime Minister Singh, when Arihant was launched, went out of his way to thank Russia.
Such is the ongoing level of Russian nuclear sub help, a third lease of an SSN (to be another Akula dubbed "Chakra III") will occur in a few years time. Russia is probably also assisting India build the full sized S5 SSBNs perhaps based on Russian Deltas and maybe early Boreys.
It would be foolhardy for France to pass India sensitive Barracuda SSN design details or even actual Barracudas. Russian military intelligence (GRU) agents and plain friendships between the Russian nuclear sub industry and Indian sub designers/Indian Navy should put France on guard.
Russia's Ukraine invasion and Putin announcing the increase in Russia's nuclear threat level would have demonstrated to France that Russia verges on being a semi-Hot "Cold" War enemy of France.
The risk of French nuke sub secrets finding their way to Russia via India are too great. Russia would dearly love a full range of Barracuda acoustic and other emissions to give Russian Yasen SSNs technical advantages over French Navy Barracudas. Also a comprehensive Russian knowledge of French Barracuda quieting technologies, including pumpjets, would be handy.
Now Australia will need to be mindful that its UK and US designed nuclear subs (more advanced than the French) are always a prime target of hostile espionage.