Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

British authorities have discovered that cameras installed on unmanned surface vehicles used by the country’s naval forces were transmitting technical data to an IP address in China, AzerNEWS reports.

According to the publication, the incident involved K3 Scout drones supplied by British defence contractor Kraken Technology Group. The cameras used on the vehicles were purchased from a third-party company, which had previously assured officials that the equipment was secure.

An inspection found components manufactured in China inside the cameras. Investigators also discovered that the devices were transmitting so-called system status signals to China. This included technical information about the equipment’s network connection and operational status.

After the data transmission was detected, the UK Ministry of Defence disconnected the devices from the internet as a precautionary measure.

At the same time, a ministry representative said that the investigation had found no evidence that sensitive or critically important information had been transferred abroad.

The incident has raised concerns about the security of electronic components used in military equipment. It also highlights a broader challenge faced by defence agencies: even seemingly ordinary commercial devices, such as cameras and communication modules, can potentially create cybersecurity risks if their supply chains are not carefully checked.