A defence official has stated that the MoD is actively examining the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider security situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle use to communication habits.
