A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently investigating the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader security environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
