The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has launched an investigation after discovering that components in the Royal Navy’s new K3 Scout sea drones were manufactured in China. The discovery occurred during a routine cyber vulnerability assessment, which revealed that the drone cameras were transmitting a “squark”—or heartbeat signal—to a Chinese IP address.
While a squark primarily confirms that a system is functional and switched on, it has the potential to transmit location data. The MoD stated that a comprehensive internal investigation has found no evidence that any data or military systems were compromised or accessed by unauthorized external parties.
The K3 Scout drones, which are designed for maritime surveillance, force protection, and logistics, were supplied to the Royal Navy by the firm Kraken. Kraken has stated that it received prior security assurances regarding the equipment. However, the investigation determined that a third-party supplier involved in the drone’s camera system had utilized Chinese-made components, circumventing standard procurement security protocols.
This incident highlights ongoing difficulties within the defense sector to decouple supply chains from China. Despite NATO-wide policies aimed at banning Chinese components from sensitive military hardware due to espionage concerns, the reliance on globalized supply chains remains a significant challenge for defense procurement.