A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This wider defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
