LONDON—Cameras installed on British naval drones sent data to an internet address in China, U.K. officials said, underscoring the vulnerability of military supply chains to Chinese parts.
The signal, which came from a component in the cameras, didn’t broadcast any sensitive information, a spokesman for Britain’s Ministry of Defense said. The issue was discovered in a routine cyber-vulnerability assessment, he said.
“A thorough investigation found no evidence of MOD data or systems being accessed, compromised or transmitted externally,” he said.
But the discovery has raised questions about the potential vulnerabilities of military systems, particularly in the production of drone technology, which is dominated by China.
Concerns over potential national-security threats posed by Chinese-made components and machinery extend far beyond the U.K. In the U.S., a congressional probe previously found that Chinese cargo cranes at U.S. ports had been equipped with technology that could allow China’s government to potentially gain remote access to the machines.
Many European and U.S. defense companies have spent around a decade trying to wean themselves off Chinese components and say they have succeeded. The U.S. banned all types of new Chinese drones and components late last year. But establishing the provenance of tiny components in the drone sector is challenging.
“It is really, really hard to trace where the stuff comes from if you go all the way down the supply chain, and it is even harder to monitor that on an ongoing basis,” said Steve Wright , a consultant who advises governments and companies on drone manufacturing. He said he spends about half of his time advising clients on how to keep Chinese parts out of systems.
The component found transmitting a signal to China was part of a K3 Scout drone boat made by Kraken Technology, based in Fareham, England. A spokeswoman for Kraken said any potential vulnerabilities have been identified and closed.
Kraken recently won a $49 million contract from the U.S. Special Operations Command for its drones. The Pentagon didn’t immediately return requests for comment.
Naval drones are becoming a bigger part of warfare. Ukraine has used them to target Russian naval vessels and commercial ships carrying Russian oil. Last month, the U.S. used them for the first time in combat, sending boats into an Iranian port and blowing up a submarine and ship-maintenance facility. In June, the Navy used them to rescue the crew of an Apache helicopter that was downed off the coast of Oman.
While Europe and the U.S. pioneered autonomous vehicles, China took a lead in mass-producing cheap aerial drones. Now, the use of easy-to-make drones has changed the nature of warfare, particularly the conflict in Ukraine, giving China an advantage.
Global drone makers are particularly dependent on China for brushless motors, antennas, cameras and batteries.
China has demonstrated its willingness to cut off the supply of drone parts and other materials used in weaponry. Beijing, for instance, has limited the flow of critical minerals that Western defense manufacturers need to make everything from missiles to jet fighters, delaying production and forcing companies to scour the world for new stockpiles.
Some Ukrainian drone companies have tried to stop using Chinese components, but drones and parts from China remain ubiquitous, industry executives say.
Ukraine, which has been burning through roughly 10,000 drones a month for more than a year, needs to keep costs down. Chinese parts remain much cheaper than those sourced from manufacturers in the West.
“A German electric engine is five to 10 times more expensive than a Chinese one,” said Marc Wietfeld , the co-founder and chief executive of Arx Robotics, a German land-drone maker.
Arx has now rooted its supply chain in Europe, with a few parts from the U.S. “So we pay the price, but we get robustness and durability in return” and aren’t dependent on China, he said at a recent defense show.
