Britain’s Royal Navy is facing fresh security concerns after cameras installed on K3 Scout surveillance drones were found transmitting “heartbeat communications” to an internet address in China. The cameras reportedly continued sending these signals even when the drones were switched off. The equipment was also used near highly sensitive meetings involving senior special forces personnel, raising fears that information could have been exposed.

The K3 Scout drones are operated by the Royal Marines and form part of a £12 million fleet supplied by British defence contractor Kraken Technology Group. The Royal Marines have used the drones since March. An investigation found that the cameras fitted to the drones were communicating with an IP address based in China. “Heartbeat communications” are usually signals sent by a device to show that it is connected and working.

The cameras were sourced from a third-party supplier by Kraken Technology Group. The supplier had assured the British defence contractor that the cameras met the required security standards. The discovery has now raised questions about the checks carried out on components used in military equipment.

The UK Ministry of Defence has since removed internet connectivity from the cameras. The move came after the security issue was identified during a system review. Reports also suggested that the cameras could remain active even after the drones were shut down. Their use near sensitive meetings has added to concerns over what information the equipment may have collected or transmitted.

The incident has renewed concerns about possible Chinese espionage and vulnerabilities in Britain's defence supply chains. British officials have faced growing pressure in recent years to ensure that military equipment does not contain components that could create security risks.

The K3 drones were also being considered as part of a future British military package to support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The discovery could now affect those plans. A defence source told The Telegraph, “This is a major failure to check origins of components, and we have lost confidence in the platform.”

The K3 Scout has also attracted international military interest. The model has been purchased by the US Special Operations Command and has taken part in NATO trials in the Baltic region. The latest concerns could therefore have wider implications for other users and future procurement decisions.

The issue may also affect the Royal Navy's Project Beehive programme. The project aims to develop a combined fleet of uncrewed vessels and traditional warships. The drones supplied by Kraken form part of the Royal Navy's surface flotilla. The discovery has raised questions about whether similar risks could exist in other uncrewed military systems.

Alicia Kearns, the shadow security minister, criticised the failure to identify the origin of the components. “If we cannot say with confidence what is inside our own military equipment, we cannot say it is ours, or that we are sovereign,” she said.

Kearns also raised concerns about the cameras being used around special forces personnel. “When cameras built on Chinese parts are found recording our special forces – their faces, training and operations – we should not be surprised, we should be furious that we still haven’t woken up to the realities of the threat we face.”

The British government had earlier announced a £5 billion investment in military innovation. It also pledged to make defence procurement “unashamedly pro-Britain”. The latest incident has renewed questions over how effectively the government can secure defence supply chains and prevent potentially risky foreign components from entering military systems.

The Ministry of Defence has said there is no evidence that sensitive information or military systems were accessed or sent overseas. A Defence Ministry official 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.”

The official added, “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.”

Kraken Technology Group has also rejected suggestions that sensitive information was compromised. The company acknowledged that some components used in the cameras originated outside Britain. A spokesman said, “We are aware that some third-party, NDAA-compliant cameras had a small number of components originating from outside the UK.”

NDAA compliance refers to equipment meeting the requirements of the US National Defence Authorisation Act. These rules include restrictions on certain components and manufacturers considered potential security risks.

The Kraken spokesman said the company and the Royal Navy had completed a detailed review of the equipment. “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,” he said.

The incident comes at a sensitive time for Britain's relations with China. The Labour government has been seeking to improve ties with Beijing through high-level visits and efforts to secure trade agreements. At the same time, security concerns linked to China remain a major issue in Britain.

The government has also approved plans for a Chinese super-embassy at Royal Mint Court in central London. Critics have raised concerns about the location, including its proximity to sensitive communications infrastructure.

Britain has faced several allegations and warnings over Chinese interference in recent years. MI5 issued a security alert to MPs last year, warning that Chinese intelligence services were “relentless” in efforts to “interfere” with and “influence” Parliament. The alert also warned that LinkedIn and other employment websites had been used to collect sensitive information.

The warning came shortly after a case involving two men accused of spying for Beijing collapsed. One of the accused was a parliamentary researcher. Prosecutors struggled to secure a conviction under the legal threshold needed to prove that China posed a threat to national security.

Britain has also taken action against Chinese technology firms. In 2020, the Conservative government banned Huawei from the country's 5G network on national security grounds. The decision followed warnings from the United States about possible espionage risks linked to Huawei equipment and Chinese national security laws.

Since then, several Chinese-made hardware products have faced restrictions at sensitive government and defence locations. Electric vehicles and other equipment have also come under scrutiny over concerns that they could be used to collect information.

The latest drone controversy has now prompted the Conservatives to call for an “urgent audit” of defence equipment. The proposed review would aim to identify potentially compromised components linked to China and assess the security of equipment already being used by Britain's armed forces.