Royal Navy's £12m drones 'secretly sent data to China' in huge security breach

Royal Navy's £12m drones 'secretly sent data to China' in huge security breach Questions are now being asked over the UK government's bid to thaw relations with China, but Ministry of Defence officials have insisted no sensitive data was leaked A £12m fleet of Royal Navy drones secretly sent information to China, according to reports. An investigation has revealed that cameras fitted to new K3 Scout spy drones transmitted ‘heartbeat communications’ to an IP address in China, reports The Telegraph. The discovery was reportedly made at the Special Boat Service’s HQ in Poole, Dorset, after the £12m fleet of drones, produced by UK supplier Kraken Technology Group, entered service in March. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has denied any sensitive information has fallen into the hands of Chinese officials, as it's thought the cameras sent data which confirmed the cameras were functioning as normal. An MoD spokesperson said: “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. “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.” Kraken added a 'full audit' has taken place. A spokesperson for Kraken said: “We are aware that some third-party, [US] 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.” The revelations could lead to more questions over Britain’s relationship with China. Earlier this year, the government approved construction of a new Chinese embassy complex at Royal Mint Court, which is located near highly-valuable underground cables used by city traders. Its approval sparked fears Chinese agents could spy on market information. Labour has attempted to thaw relations with Beijing since coming to power, with Keir Starmer visiting the country in late January. He was the first British Prime Minister to conduct a diplomatic mission to China since Theresa May in 2018.