An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to disable buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This wider security situation underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
