'China can make S-400 missile system fizzle': Subramanian Swamy warns of cyberwar threat; Know why-
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New Delhi, Mar 5: After Union Power Minister R.K. Singh dismissed a report about China that a massive power outage in Mumbai as a result of a cyber attack by China, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy warned of a cyber war threat.
The Power Minister on Tuesday was quoted by private media as saying, "There is no evidence to prove that the October 2020 electricity blackout in Mumbai was caused by a cyberattack perpetrated by China or Pakistan." Singh claimed the outage was caused by human error.
The report by US-based company Recorded Future claimed malware was inserted into the Indian power grid last year. On the other hand, the New York Times reported the power outage may have been a warning to India from China amid the military standoff in Ladakh.
Also Read: 'Chinese hackers targeted India’s power through malware'
Taking to Twitter, BJP MP Subramanian Swamy warned of the risk of a Chinese cyberattack and linked it to a key issue of India's purchasing the S-400 surface-to-air missile system from Russia. He tweeted, "After getting a taste of the damage China can do by cyber war, can we rely on S-400 anti-aircraft weapon? China can make it fizzle." The statement "China can make it fizzle" seems that a possibility of China hacking into the S-400 system to render it ineffective.
Also Read: 'Unlikely to get any waiver': US warns India against acquiring Russian S-400 missile
The central government signed a deal worth over $5 billion in 2018 to buy the S-400, which combines radars, control equipment and multiple types of surface-to-air missiles of varying ranges to shoot down practically any aerial target—aircraft, drones, bombs, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.
China was the first export customer of the S-400. In December 2019, Swamy had warned the presence of Chinese electronics would make the missile system "compromised" in a war with Pakistan. In June 2020, Swamy warned the Modi government "would be well-advised not to use S-400 in a possible battle with China. This is because S-400 is made with Chinese electronics".
China does supply a wide range of electronic components used for aerospace programs worldwide. Such components could potentially be used as means for implanting malware and tracking and espionage systems.