A defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in China-made cars.
He stated that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader security environment underscores the importance of robust measures and caution in every areas of official operations, from transport use to discussions habits.
