Spy cameras on UK Special forces drones secretly sent data to China
Royal Navy spy drones used by Britain’s elite special forces secretly sent data to China, The Telegraph can reveal. The cameras on the K3 Scout surveillance drones had components made in China. . .
Royal Navy spy drones used by Britain’s elite special forces secretly sent data to China, The Telegraph can reveal. The cameras on theK3 Scout surveillance droneshad components made in China which were transmitting information to a device in the country. The Royal Marines have been using the £12m fleet since March and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) was forced to remove all internet connectivity from the cameras after discovering the breach. The camera on top of a K3 Scout uncrewed vessel, used by the Royal Navy in Portsmouth harbour. Parts of the camera were made in ChinaRoyal Navy spy drones used by Britain’s elite special forces secretly sent data to China, The Telegraph can reveal. The revelation raises fears that Beijing has been attempting to spy on Britain’s military after years of security warnings about the threat from the country. An investigation into the drones revealed that the cameras were transmitting “heartbeat communications” – data to confirm they were online and functioning normally – to an IP address in China. The MoD insisted that there was no evidence that any sensitive data or systems had been sent abroad. The discovery triggered national security fears that security-cleared staff at the Special Boat Service (SBS) headquarters in Poole, Dorset could have been exposed. The revelation raises fears that Beijing has been attempting to spy on Britain’s military after years of security warnings about the threat from the country. The drones were supplied by a major British defence contractor, Kraken Technology Group, which sourced the cameras from a third party who had given assurances about their security. Special forces boats set for use in planned Gulf missions were fitted with Chinese-made componentsdefence source familiar with the matter told The Telegraph that the K3 drones made up part of a futuredefence package offered by the UKto secure the freedom of navigation in theStrait of Hormuz. The source said that preparations for Britain’s plans in the Gulf had been conducted on the drones, adding: “This is major failure to check origins of components and we have lost confidence in the platform. ”There are also concerns that the surveillance drones have been near highly sensitive meetings between senior special forces staff, and that cameras remained active even when the drones were switched off. The MoD said that the department took “security of our equipment, networks and data extremely seriously” and insisted that no MoD data had been compromised. https://www. telegraph. co. uk/news/2026/08/09/spy-cameras-on-navy-drones-secretly-sent-data-to-china/