A security controversy has erupted in Britain after components manufactured in China and installed aboard unmanned Royal Navy vessels were found transmitting data to an IP address in China, according to a report in The Telegraph.

The cameras were installed aboard K3 Scout unmanned vessels used by Britain’s Royal Marines. According to the report, Chinese-made components inside the cameras were quietly transmitting so-called “heartbeat” signals — routine data used to indicate that a system is connected and functioning — to an IP address located in China.

The fleet, estimated to have cost approximately £12 million, has reportedly been in use by the Royal Marines since March.

After the security issue was discovered, Britain’s Ministry of Defence disconnected the cameras from the internet.

The vessels were supplied by British defense contractor Kraken Technology Group, which reportedly purchased the cameras from a third-party supplier that had provided assurances regarding their security.

A defense source familiar with the matter described the discovery as a serious failure in the vetting of components and said confidence in the platform had been damaged.

“This is a serious failure to check the origin of the components, and we have lost confidence in the platform,” the source said.

The unmanned vessels are reportedly expected to play a role in a future British program aimed at protecting freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.

Concerns have also been raised that personnel with high-level security clearances at the Special Boat Service headquarters may have been exposed to the cameras because they allegedly continued operating even when the vessels themselves were switched off.

The British Ministry of Defence, however, said there is no evidence that sensitive information or system data was transmitted outside the United Kingdom, stressing that information security is taken extremely seriously.

Kraken also said that following a comprehensive review of the fleet, it is confident that no sensitive information was shared.

Meanwhile, Conservative opposition officials are calling for an urgent review of military equipment to determine whether other Chinese-made components or systems may be embedded in British defense hardware.

The demands come amid broader concerns over Chinese espionage and influence efforts, which have previously prompted warnings from Britain’s MI5 security service.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)