A defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been told to refrain from talking about secret matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This broader security environment highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of government activities, including vehicle use to communication practices.
