A defence official has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret matters in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however stressed that safety is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader defence environment highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in every aspects of official operations, from vehicle use to communication practices.
