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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Cameras on unmanned boats of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy reportedly contained components of Chinese manufacture and transmitted technical data to an IP address in China. After the issue was discovered, the British Ministry of Defence disconnected the cameras from the Internet. This is described in The Telegraph investigation, published in 9 August.
The report concerns the K3 Scout boats used by the Royal Marines and elite special forces units. The fleet's cost is approximately £12 million ($16,2 million).
The investigation found that the cameras transmitted so-called beacon signals for checking connectivity — technical data confirming that the device is online and operating. This information was sent to an IP address in China.
The British Ministry of Defence stated that the investigation did not reveal evidence of overseas transmission of secret information or compromise of military systems. At the same time, because of the discovered vulnerability, the cameras were fully disconnected from the Internet.
The K3 Scout drones were delivered by Kraken Technology Group, a British defense company that purchased the cameras from an external supplier. According to The Telegraph, the supplier assured the equipment's safety.
However, the issue raised concerns because the drones could have been near the Special Boat Service (SBS) headquarters in Poole, where high-level military meetings take place. A source in the defense sector told the publication that the cameras could have remained active even after the boats were shut down.
The source also said that the K3 Scout were used during the preparation of British operations in the Persian Gulf. The drones were considered part of a future defense package to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Conservative security spokesperson Alicia Kerns urged the government to urgently audit military equipment for Chinese components. She stated that the discovery of cameras with Chinese parts in equipment used by special forces should cause serious concern.
Kraken Technology Group stated that some cameras from third-party suppliers contained a small amount of components manufactured outside the United Kingdom. After conducting an audit, the company assured that no sensitive information was transmitted beyond sanctioned channels, and potential vulnerabilities were addressed.
The Telegraph notes that the incident occurred amid rising UK concerns about Chinese influence and vulnerabilities in supply chains. Previously, the British Ministry of Defence had already removed Chinese equipment and cameras from highly classified facilities.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Камери на катерах британських спецпризначенців таємно надсилали дані до Китаю – The Telegraph". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Gordon.
