Chinese Component Found in Royal Navy Drones, MoD Finds No Data Breach

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has confirmed that cameras installed in Royal Navy K3 Scout sea drones contained a Chinese-made component that was transmitting a heartbeat signal — known as a squark — to a Chinese IP address. Despite the alarming discovery, a thorough investigation found no evidence that any data or systems had been accessed or compromised.

What Was Found

The component came to light during a routine cyber vulnerability assessment of the Royal Navy's 20 K3 Scout surveillance drones, purchased from British supplier Kraken. These drones are designed for maritime awareness, force protection, logistics and precision strike missions. A third-party camera supplier used by Kraken had incorporated Chinese-made components, despite NATO-wide policies banning Chinese parts from military hardware. A squark signal can indicate that a system is switched on and functioning, but may also carry location data.

MoD Statement

"A thorough investigation found no evidence of MoD data or systems being accessed, compromised or transmitted externally," an MoD spokesperson said. "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." Drone supplier Kraken said it was given security assurances and remains confident no sensitive information was shared. The lapse has since been remediated.

Wider Implications

The incident is an embarrassment for the MoD, which bans Chinese components from military equipment over espionage concerns. It underscores how difficult it remains to purge Chinese-sourced parts from global technology supply chains, even in the defence sector. The story was first reported by The Telegraph.