The Royal Navy British has discovered that the cameras installed on its new unmanned military vessels K3 Scout they sent data to an IP address located in China. The discovery occurred during a security review and forced the Ministry of Defense British to eliminate all Internet connectivity from the affected subsystem, as revealed by The Telegraph.
The cameras had been acquired by the British manufacturer Kraken Technology Group through an external provider that had guaranteed its security. A subsequent investigation determined that They incorporated some components manufactured in China and made connections with a server located in that country.. The Ministry of Defense maintains that there is no evidence that sensitive data was sentnor that their networks or systems were compromised.
Transmission of ‘heartbeat communications’
The connections detected were those called ‘heartbeat communications’small data exchanges that a device performs periodically to indicate that it is still connected and working correctly. The problem is that those messages were directed to a Chinese IP address, something especially delicate in vessels designed for military operations and that can incorporate other surveillance sensors in addition to cameras..
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense assured that ‘a routine assessment of cybersecurity vulnerabilities identified an issue affecting a subsystem of a Kraken unmanned surface vehicle used by the Royal Navy. A thorough investigation found no evidence that MoD data or systems had been accessed, compromised or transmitted abroad.’ He also noted that his verification processes are designed to detect and fix these types of vulnerabilities at an early stage.
The K3 Scout were to be deployed in the Strait of Hormuz
A Defense source consulted by the media assures that the K3 Scouts were included in the preparations for a future British deployment aimed at protecting freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. ‘This is a major failure when it comes to verifying the origin of the components and we have lost confidence in the platform.’he stated. The newspaper adds that there is concern because some of these vehicles have been near sensitive meetings of senior special forces officials.
The British Navy commissioned in March 2026 a total of 20 unmanned vessels of Kraken within the Project Beehivewith a contract officially valued at 12.3 million pounds. The fleet is destined for Coastal Forces Squadron of the Navy and 47 Royal Marines Commandowhich use it for operations, training and development of new autonomous capabilities.
This is the K3 Scout
Each K3 Scout measures 8.4 meters in length and 1.93 meters in widthscroll to 2,500 kilos and can carry a payload of 600 kilos. Its diesel engine allows it to reach 55 knots, about 102km/hwhile its autonomy reaches 650 nautical miles, around 1,200 kilometerssailing at 25 knots. Kraken further notes that it can remain deployed until 30 days depending on the mission.
The modular architecture of the K3 allows the installation electro-optical cameras, radar, sonar and different intelligence equipmentin addition to systems intended to electronic warfare or weapons. Kraken poses it for maritime surveillance missions, force protection, infiltration and extraction, logistical transportation, infrastructure protection and precision strikes. It can operate autonomously or under remote control and change its payload to quickly adapt to different operations.
The K3 Scouts have already participated in NATO exercises
USA It is also working with Kraken to incorporate these types of vessels into its special operations forces. In 2026, the company received a contract for 49 million dollars of the Special Operations Command of the United States to develop and deliver prototypes of unmanned surface and underwater vehicles. The K3 Scout has already participated in NATO exercises and in demonstrations of American capabilities.
The United Kingdom also has several precedents related to Chinese technology in sensitive areas. The Government decided in 2020 to prohibit new purchases of 5G equipment from Huawei and ordered to remove all its hardware from those networks before the end of 2027 for security reasons. Last July, The Telegraph also revealed that the Special Boat Servicea special forces unit of the British Royal Navy specializing in maritime operations, had The entry of electric cars made in China into its headquarters is prohibited of Poole over fears that its cameras, sensors and connected systems could be used for espionage.