A defence official has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a concern in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The announcement comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence situation highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
