Spy cameras on Royal Navy drone boats from Fareham secretly sent “heartbeat communications” and data to China

Secret data from drone boats built for the Royal Navy has been transmitted to China from its cameras.

The Daily Telegraph reported that “heartbeat communications” from the K3 Scout vessels, built by Kraken Technology Group in Whiteley, was sent to Beijing through its camera components. A total of these un-crewed capabilities were purchased for the navy as part of Project Beehive, in a bid to develop a hybrid force of conventional warships and autonomous systems.

Secured in a £12.3m contract, they have been primarily used by the Coastal Forces Squadron and 47 Commando Royal Marines for operations training and development activities; testing took place at Portsdown Technology Park in North Hill.

The Telegraph said the Ministry of Defence (MoD) was forced to remove all internet connectivity from the cameras after the problem was discovered; raising fears that Beijing attempted to spy on Britain’s military. Kraken sourced the optical devices from a third party, who assured them about their security.

The national publication said data to confirm the capabilities were online and functioning were sent to an IP address in China. A source told The Telegraph said Britain’s plans in the Gulf, including the package on how to secure the Strait of Hormuz amid the conflict between Iran and the US-Israeli coalition, were conducted on the drones.

“This is major failure to check origins of components and we have lost confidence in the platform,” they added. The vessels are designed to perform a range of tasks including surveillance, force protection and precision strike roles. They were showcased to the public during the Nato plenary at HMNB Portsmouth this summer.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said the transmissions had been found during a “routine cyber vulnerability assessment” of the K3 drones. They added: “A thorough investigation found no evidence of MoD data or systems being accessed, compromised or transmitted externally.

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“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.”

A Kraken Technology Group spokesman added: “We are aware that some third-party, NDAA-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.”

The company was among 13 British tech companies to have signed contracts in a bid to boost rapid procurement and deliver cutting-edge technology for the UK Armed Forces. It’s part of a scheme to grow the next billion-pound “defence unicorns”.

Chief marketing officer Ed Tilston previously said the company expanded significantly since Project Beehive began, with staff having to work out of a second facility. The K3s can carry up to 600kg at a range of up to 650 nautical miles at 25 knots.