Royal Navy spy drones used by Britain's elite special forces secretly sent data to China, The Telegraph can reveal.
The cameras on the K3 Scout surveillance drones had components made in China which were transmitting information to a device in the country.
The Royal Marines have been using the £12.00 GBPm fleet since March and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) was forced to remove all internet connectivity from the cameras after discovering the breach.
The revelation raises fears that Beijing has been attempting to spy on Britain's military after years of security warnings about the threat from the country.
The drones were supplied by a major British defence contractor, Kraken Technology Group, which sourced the cameras from a third party who had given assurances about their security.
An investigation into the drones revealed that the cameras were transmitting "heartbeat communications" – data to confirm they were online and functioning normally – to an IP address in China. The MoD insisted that there was no evidence that any sensitive data or systems had been sent abroad.
The discovery triggered national security fears that security-cleared staff at the Special Boat Service (SBS) headquarters in Poole, Dorset could have been exposed.
…
A defence source familiar with the matter told The Telegraph that the K3 drones made up part of a future defence package offered by the UK to secure the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
ponders nirvana.