Chinese Component Found In Royal Navy Sea Drones Sent ‘Heartbeat’ Signal To China

Chinese Component Found in Royal Navy Sea Drones Sent ‘Heartbeat’ Signal to China A Chinese-made component discovered in cameras fitted to new Royal Navy sea drones was found to have sent a “squark”, or heartbeat communication, to an internet address in China during a routine security assessment. The discovery was made during what the UK Ministry of Defence MoD described as a routine cyber vulnerability assessment of the unmanned vessels.

A “squark” is a signal that can indicate when a system has been switched on and is functioning properly. Such communications can also potentially contain information about a system’s location.

The cameras were fitted to the Royal Navy’s K3 Scout unmanned surface vessels, which are designed to carry out missions including maritime surveillance, reconnaissance and other military operations.

The discovery has raised concerns over the security of military supply chains and the use of foreign-made components in sensitive defence equipment, particularly amid longstanding concerns about potential vulnerabilities associated with Chinese technology.

However, the MoD said an investigation found no evidence that its data or systems had been accessed, compromised or transmitted externally. A ministry spokesperson said the assessment was part of routine efforts to identify potential vulnerabilities before they could pose a greater security risk. The manufacturer of the vessels has also said that no sensitive information was shared through the equipment and that security assurances had been obtained from the third-party supplier responsible for the cameras. Britain has increasingly sought to reduce potential security risks associated with Chinese-made technology in critical infrastructure and defence systems, making the discovery particularly sensitive. The incident also highlights the challenges faced by defence organisations in securing complex supply chains, where commercially available electronic components may originate from multiple countries.

The security issue has reportedly been addressed, while further checks and assessments are expected as authorities continue to examine the equipment and its supply chain. The MoD has stressed that there is currently no evidence of a data breach, but the incident is likely to prompt renewed scrutiny of the components used in Britain’s growing fleet of unmanned military systems.