UK Royal Navy sea drones found sending data to Chinese IP address

On August 10, 2026, reports surfaced that K3 Scout sea drones used by the British Royal Marines were transmitting "heartbeat" signals to an IP address located in China. These signals were designed to confirm that the drone cameras were active and connected to the network. The fleet, valued at £12 million, has been in operation since March 2026.

Investigations revealed that the cameras contained Chinese-manufactured components, which facilitated the data transmission. The hardware was supplied by the UK-based Kraken Technology Group, which had reportedly received security assurances from a third-party supplier. Following the discovery, the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) took immediate action to disable the cameras' internet connectivity to mitigate security risks. The MoD maintains that no sensitive operational data was accessed during the incident.

This security breach has raised significant concerns regarding the integrity of military hardware and the potential for foreign espionage. While an internal investigation is ongoing to determine how these vulnerabilities passed initial checks, the MoD has isolated the affected systems to prevent further unauthorized communication.