A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been told to avoid discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Security Context
The announcement follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence environment underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government operations, including transport use to communication practices.
