Fitness App, Strava Sparks Major Security Breach on French Nuclear Submarines

French naval officers inadvertently reveal submarine locations and patrol schedules through a fitness app, raising global security concerns.

January 15, 2025: A significant security lapse has occurred at France's Ile Longue submarine base in Brest Harbour, where crew members of nuclear submarines inadvertently leaked sensitive information by using a fitness app, Strava. The app, designed to track and share fitness activities, exposed details of the submarines' locations, patrol schedules, and even personnel movements, posing a serious threat to national and global security.

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The base houses four French nuclear submarines, each equipped with 16 missiles, each missile a thousand times as powerful as the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Known as the 'black boats,' these submarines operate under a doctrine called 'permanence at sea,' ensuring that one vessel is always on patrol, prepared to launch a nuclear strike on orders from the French President.

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Despite stringent security measures at the top-secret base—including biometric scanners, round-the-clock surveillance, and a ban on mobile phones—smartwatches with third-party applications, such as Strava, slipped through the security net. Over the past decade, more than 450 Strava users, all identified as French military personnel, have been active at the base, according to an investigation by Daily Mail.

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In one glaring instance, an officer recorded his jogging route along the submarine docks, logging his activities on 16 separate occasions in early 2023. The pattern of these runs coincided with a month-long hiatus, aligning with the submarine's patrol schedule. Similar patterns were observed in two other officers' fitness logs. One officer even commented upon his return, joking about the conditions aboard the submarine, which he referred to as a "poo box."

Adding to the concern, a report from Le Monde revealed that many military personnel failed to use pseudonyms or aliases on the app, keeping their profiles public. This oversight not only exposed their real identities but also provided a global audience with access to their movements and activities.

The implications extend beyond France. According to the StravaLeaks investigation, bodyguards of world leaders, including the Presidents of France, the U.S., and Russia, have also been identified as Strava users. Their activity patterns could potentially reveal presidential movements, further heightening security concerns.

Tags:
French submarines, Strava security breach, nuclear submarine leak, French military, global security, Ile Longue base, fitness app risks, data privacy, national security, Le Monde investigation.