Cameras fitted to drones that were used by the Royal Marines secretly transmitted data to China, according to reports.
The Daily Telegraph said components in the K3 Scout surveillance drone, used by the UK’s special forces since March, had been sourced from a third party by defence contractor Kraken Technology Group.
Those cameras were made in China, the newspaper said, and the Ministry of Defence had to remove their internet connectivity after discovering information was being sent to a Chinese IP address.
It added that an investigation found the cameras had been sending ‘heartbeat communications’, which are used to confirm they are functioning normally for anyone who is monitoring them.
An MoD spokesman said there was no evidence of its data or systems being compromised or transmitted.
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The drones are thought to have been bought as part of a £12.3 million package for 20 uncrewed boats in March.
At the time, Second Sea Lord Vice Admiral Paul Beattie called the move ‘a significant milestone in our journey towards a Hybrid Navy’.
He continued: ‘By integrating cutting-edge autonomous technology with our existing capabilities, we are ensuring that our forces remain at the forefront of maritime innovation and warfighting effectiveness.’
In June, then-Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis announced £5 billion would be spent on a ‘drone transformation’ of the Armed Forces, accelerating the use of autonomous systems.
A spokesman for the MoD said the safety of equipment, networks and data is taken ‘extremely seriously’.
They continued: ‘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.’
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