A defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of official operations, including transport usage to communication practices.
