Telegraph: Royal Navy drone cameras secretly sent 'heartbeat' signals to China IP

Key Facts

• Cameras on Royal Navy K3 Scout drones sent "heartbeat" signals to a Chinese IP address, according to an investigation by The Telegraph's Richard Holmes
• The Ministry of Defence discovered the issue during a routine cyber vulnerability assessment of the approximately $16.2 million (£12 million) fleet
• The drones entered service with the Royal Marines in March

Details of the Security Breach

Cameras mounted on Royal Navy surveillance drones destined for special forces missions in the Gulf were secretly transmitting signals to an IP address inside China, The Telegraph reported.

The affected drones are Kraken K3 Scout uncrewed surface vessels — roughly 8.4-meter (28-foot) unmanned speedboats built by the British defense company Kraken Technology Group. They are used by the Royal Navy's special forces community, including the Special Boat Service (SBS), for surveillance and reconnaissance missions along contested coastlines.

Camera Components

The electro-optical and infrared cameras fitted to the boats — imaging systems that allow operators to see targets in both visible light and heat signatures — were manufactured by Canadian company Current Scientific Corporation under its Night Navigator 3000 series. However, they contained components sourced from outside the UK that were found sending what investigators described as "heartbeat communications" — routine signals confirming a device is powered on and connected — to a device located in China.

The discovery reportedly took place at the Special Boat Service's headquarters in Poole, Dorset.

Sensitive Timing

Defense sources told The Telegraph that the affected drones had been earmarked for a planned British deployment to the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil supply passes. The mission was aimed at protecting freedom of navigation for commercial shipping in the region.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated that the transmissions were uncovered during a routine cyber vulnerability assessment of the K3 fleet. A subsequent investigation found no evidence that sensitive information or military systems had been accessed or compromised. However, the department stripped all internet connectivity from the affected cameras as a precaution once the issue surfaced.

The K3 Scout and Modernization Efforts

The K3 Scout sits at the center of one of the Royal Navy's most closely watched modernization efforts:

• The Royal Navy ordered 20 vessels from Kraken in March 2026 under an approximately $16.5 million contract as part of Project Beehive
• Project Beehive aims to build a "Hybrid Navy" — pairing large, conventionally crewed warships (like Type 26 and Type 31 frigates) with smaller, autonomous vessels that can be produced and deployed faster than traditional shipbuilding allows
• The K3 Scout can reach speeds up to 55 knots and operate continuously at sea for 30 days
• It can be configured to carry troops, cargo, tube-launched loitering munitions (suicide drones), or explosives for one-way attack missions

International Interest

• U.S. Special Operations Command awarded Kraken a $49 million contract in November 2025 to accelerate K3 Scout development for American forces
• Anduril Industries announced in April that it would manufacture two new Kraken-designed vessels at its own U.S. facilities to meet Navy requirements for small, fast uncrewed boats

Official Responses

Kraken Technology Group

A company spokesperson said:

"We are aware that some third-party, national defence authorisation act-compliant cameras had a small number of components originating from outside the UK. 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."

Ministry of Defence

An MoD spokesperson stated:

"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."