Minister Confirms MoD Investigating Security Risk from Chinese Cars, with Personnel Advised to Refrain from Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
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 defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, from transport use to communication practices.
