According to The Telegraph, reconnaissance naval drones operated by the UK’s elite special forces secretly transmitted data to China. Chinese-made components installed on K3 Scout boats, intended for use in planned missions in the Persian Gulf, secretly sent information to a device in China, the British newspaper reported on Sunday, August 9, citing a source in the UK Defence Ministry.

After the leak was discovered, the UK Ministry of Defence was forced to disable all internet connections to the cameras on the naval drones, which have been in service since March 2026, The Telegraph reports. The £12 million drones were supplied by British company Kraken Technology Group, while the cameras installed in them were manufactured by a subcontractor that had guaranteed their security.

A UK Defence Ministry source familiar with the situation said the K3 drones were part of a defence package proposed by London to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

An investigation into the naval drones found that the cameras were transmitting so-called “heartbeat signals” to an IP address in China — data confirming their online activity and normal operation. A Defence Ministry spokesperson said the issue was identified during a “routine cybersecurity vulnerability assessment.” “A thorough investigation found no evidence that Defence Ministry data or systems had been accessed, compromised, or transferred outside the department,” The Telegraph quoted the spokesperson as saying.

Nevertheless, the detected data leak has raised concerns that Beijing may be attempting to spy on the British military, The Telegraph reports. A source told the newspaper that there had been a “serious failure in checking the provenance of components” and a loss of confidence in the manufacturer. There are also concerns that the drones had been operating near locations where senior special forces personnel held meetings, while the cameras continued functioning even after the drones had been switched off.