Royal Navy Removes Internet From Drones After Chinese Camera Breach

A security breach involving Chinese-made cameras on Royal Navy surveillance drones has prompted the Ministry of Defence to remove all internet connectivity from the equipment, raising concerns about supply chain vulnerabilities in Britain's autonomous warfare systems. The incident, discovered during a routine cybersecurity assessment, involved cameras on K3 Scout uncrewed surface vessels that were transmitting routine "heartbeat" signals to an IP address in China.

The K3 Scout fleet, produced by British contractor Kraken Technology Group, entered service with the Royal Marines in March as part of a £12 million investment in autonomous systems. The vessels were reportedly being prepared for potential deployment to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. According to officials, the cameras were sourced from a third-party supplier that provided assurances about their security. However, an investigation revealed the hardware contained components manufactured in China and was designed to send data back to servers in that country.

The Ministry of Defence stated that a thorough investigation found no evidence of classified information, military systems, or sensitive data being...