Cameras fitted to Royal Navy drones have secretly been sending data to China, according to reports. New K3 Scout spy drones were found to have components that transmitted 'heartbeat communications' to an IP address in China, as reported by The Telegraph. An investigation found the data confirmed the cameras were functioning normally.
MoD denies sensitive data leak
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has reportedly denied that any sensitive information has fallen into the hands of Chinese officials. A spokesperson said: “A routine cyber vulnerability assessment identified an issue affecting a Kraken Unmanned Surface Vessel sub-system used by the Royal Navy. A thorough investigation found no evidence of MoD data or systems being accessed, compromised or transmitted externally.”
“Our assurance and testing processes are designed to identify and address potential vulnerabilities early, and we continue to undertake routine security activity across our systems and equipment.”
Discovery at Special Boat Service HQ
The discovery was reportedly made at the Special Boat Service’s HQ in Poole, Dorset, after the £12m fleet of drones, produced by UK supplier Kraken Technology Group, entered service in March. A spokesperson for Kraken said: “We are aware that some third-party, [US] national defence authorisation act-compliant cameras had a small number of components originating from outside the UK.”
“After a full audit by both Kraken and the Royal Navy we are confident no sensitive information has ever been shared outside of intended channels and any potential vulnerabilities have been identified and closed.”
Questions over UK-China relations
The revelations could lead to more questions over Britain’s relationship with China. Earlier this year, the government approved construction of a new Chinese embassy complex at Royal Mint Court, which is located near highly-valuable underground cables used by city traders. Its approval sparked fears Chinese agents could spy on market information.
Labour has attempted to thaw relations with Beijing since coming to power, with Keir Starmer visiting the country in late January. He was the first British Prime Minister to conduct a diplomatic mission to China since Theresa May in 2018.
