Cameras on Royal Navy K3 Scout surveillance drones were discovered transmitting data to a Chinese IP address, raising significant security concerns despite official denials of a data breach.

The incident involves K3 Scout uncrewed surface vessels, a $16 million (£12 million) fleet supplied by British defense contractor Kraken Technology Group and used by the Royal Marines and Special Boat Service (SBS) since March 2026.

The K3 Scout model, designed to carry a 600 kilogram(kg) payload and operate continuously for 30 days, has also been purchased by the US Special Operations Command and has participated in Nato trials in the Baltic.

The vulnerability originated in third-party cameras containing Chinese-made components, which were sent to the drones with assurances of security and compliance with the US National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

During a routine cyber vulnerability assessment, analysts detected that these cameras were sending automated "heartbeat communications"—small data packets confirming the devices were online and functioning normally—to an unauthorized IP address in China. The Ministry of Defense (MoD) subsequently cut internet connectivity to the cameras to contain the breach.

An MoD spokesman said: “A routine cyber vulnerability assessment identified an issue affecting a Kraken Unmanned Surface Vessel sub-system used by the Royal Navy. A thorough investigation found no evidence of MoD data or systems being accessed, compromised or transmitted externally.

“Our assurance and testing processes are designed to identify and address potential vulnerabilities early, and we continue to undertake routine security activity across our systems and equipment.”

While the MoD and Kraken insist there is no evidence that sensitive military data, reconnaissance imagery, or classified systems were accessed or exfiltrated, the incident has exposed critical flaws in defense supply chain auditing.

A Kraken Technology Group spokesman said: “We are aware that some third-party, NDAA-compliant cameras had a small number of components originating from outside the UK.

“After a full audit by both Kraken and the Royal Navy we are confident no sensitive information has ever been shared outside of intended channels and any potential vulnerabilities have been identified and closed.”

The drones had operated near the SBS headquarters in Poole, Dorset, and were involved in preparations for potential missions in the Strait of Hormuz, leading to fears that metadata regarding operational schedules and locations may have been compromised.

A joint audit by Kraken and the Royal Navy confirmed no sensitive information left authorized channels, but the discovery has triggered calls for stricter component origin checks in military procurement.

Alicia Kearns, the shadow security minister, said: “If we cannot say with confidence what is inside our own military equipment, we cannot say it is ours, or that we are sovereign.

“When cameras built on Chinese parts are found recording our special forces – their faces, training and operations – we should not be surprised, we should be furious that we still haven’t woken up to the realities of the threat we face.”

UK has begun a diplomatic reset with China through a series of high-profile visits to the country, with the hope of lucrative trade agreements. Earlier this year, Downing Street approved plans for a Chinese super-embassy at Royal Mint Court in the heart of London, despite concerns about the site’s proximity to sensitive communication lines.

The Long March 7A rocket launched at 1200 UTC, Monday, (Aug. 10), by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan, China, suffered a catastrophic failure about 85 seconds after liftoff. Video reposted to social media captured the shock of onlookers the moment that the rocket burst into flames.

The failure occurred during the joint burn phase of the first stage and boosters, specifically involving the YF-100 engines, which has triggered a fleet-wide investigation potentially impacting other missions like Chang'e 7.

The explosion generated a massive fireball and debris cloud over the South China Sea, resulting in the total loss of the vehicle and its payload, the China's Zhongxing-4B communications satellite, presumably bound for geostationary transfer orbit(GTO). China's Zhongxing satellites provide telecommunications and broadband internet services and are also thought to provide services for China's military.

The Long March 7A's four side boosters and core stage detach as a full cluster during first stage separation, which typically occurs just under three minutes after liftoff. As today's incident occurred just 85 seconds into flight, the rocket was still engaged in the main stage's initial engine burn to escape Earth's atmosphere.

Monday's incident marks the second in-flight failure for the Long March 7A since its debut in 2020, ending a streak of 16 consecutive successful missions. The debut launch also ended with the vehicle's explosion. China traced that mishap to an engine malfunction that occurred shortly after first-stage separation. This morning's launch, however, didn't get that far.

A Chinese Zhuque-3 rocket is scheduled for liftoff Monday evening to fly from China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, 2,415 kilometers from Wenchang, at 2345 UTC, and is expected to feature a first-stage landing attempt. It is unclear what repercussions Monday's explosion may have on the mission.

CASC uses the standard Long March 7 rocket, which shares its core stage with the 7A, as its launch vehicle for delivering cargo to the Tiangong space station in low Earth orbit about every eight months. The most recent of those missions launched in May, putting the next resupply launch sometime around January 2027 which may face delays due to Monday's explosion.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has explicitly rejected US President Donald Trump's 15-point Gaza peace plan, declaring that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will not withdraw from any part of the Gaza Strip until Hamas is "genuinely disarmed."

Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Sunday, Netanyahu said, "Israel rejects the 15-point document," emphasizing that any disarmament must include "heavy weapons, lighter weapons, all weapons" and cannot be "fictitious."

Netanyahu also vowed that "as long as I am prime minister, no Palestinian state will be established," rejecting the plan's implications for governance in both Gaza and the West Bank.

The core disagreement centers on the sequence of actions outlined in the proposal by Trump's "Board of Peace." The US-backed plan envisioned a phased process where Hamas would surrender weapons to a new Palestinian technocratic administration in tandem with a gradual Israeli withdrawal.

Netanyahu adamantly opposes this simultaneity, insisting that no reconstruction or withdrawal can begin before the "complete dismantling and demobilization" of Hamas. While Hamas agreed to the roadmap to spare Gaza further war, it conditioned its implementation on Israel first halting attacks and withdrawing forces.

Political and diplomatic tensions inform Netanyahu's decision as he faces pressure from his Zionist extremist coalition ahead of October elections, political observers say.

Despite calling Trump a friend, Netanyahu asserted Israel's independence, stating, "We know how to stand our ground" on matters where US ideas are unacceptable to Israel.

Following Israel's pushback, the Board of Peace reportedly adjusted its language to suggest Israeli withdrawal would occur only after Hamas's disarmament is completed, though Netanyahu maintains the current document is still rejected. Hamas called on Trump to pressure Netanyahu to abide by the originally plan.

The disagreement comes as the gaps between Israeli and US interests widen. CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper on his recent visit to the region, reportedly conveyed to Israeli leaders that the US is interested in ending the war in the three active theaters - Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza.

In Lebanon, the US reportedly wants the IDF to withdraw from additional points in the security zone in the south of the country, and in Gaza, to see progress, an end to assassinations and the entry of the multinational force, which now includes several hundred soldiers from Morocco and Uganda.

Netanyahu reportedly spoke on the phone with President Trump's envoy Jared Kushner and promised to give the 15-point plan a chance despite his skepticism and curb attacks on Gaza so that the process of demilirarization of Gaza can begin. Since then Israeli attacks on Gaza have decreased and the IDF is reportedly gradually moving back to the Yellow Line.

The Whote House is reportedly "not bothered" by Netanyahu's statement on the Gaza plan and sees it as part of the election season in Israel, saying they "have no problem with it as long as he continues to do what we ask - especially regarding restraining attacks in Gaza."