UK Ministry of Defence increases supply‑chain scrutiny after cameras on Royal Navy K3 Scout uncrewed vessels transmitted heartbeat communications to a Chinese IP address. The issue was uncovered during a routine cyber‑vulnerability assessment and involved cameras supplied by Kraken Technology Group, which contained a small number of Chinese‑made components but complied with the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act. The Ministry confirmed no government data or systems were accessed, compromised, or transmitted externally, and Kraken stated that any identified vulnerabilities have been closed and no sensitive information was shared. While the Ministry has not launched a full industry‑wide audit, officials are examining whether other defence contractors use cameras from the same supplier and are reviewing potential adversarial exposure across the supplier base, developing measures to mitigate such risks. Suppliers have been reminded to meet contractual security obligations and internationally recognised security standards. Some K3 Scout units may be deployed to the Strait of Hormuz for a planned de‑mining mission if Britain and France proceed following a potential U.S.–Iran peace agreement. Officials noted the discovery may have resulted from fortunate detection rather than systematic monitoring, and the Ministry’s testing and assurance procedures remain under continual review as threats evolve.