India, Aug. 10 -- K3 Scout surveillance drones used by Britain's Royal Navy have triggered national security concerns after an investigation found that cameras fitted to the aircraft had been transmitting "heartbeat communications" to an IP address in China. The cameras were supplied by a third party to British defence contractor Kraken Technology Group, which had assured the company that they were secure.

The Ministry of Defence subsequently removed internet connectivity from the cameras, The Telegraph reported. The £12 million fleet has been in use by the Royal Marines since March and was frequently deployed near sensitive security meetings, raising concerns about the potential exposure of information.

The development has renewed...