An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD officials have been instructed not to talk about secret material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however noted that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
This broader defence situation highlights the significance of robust measures and vigilance in every aspects of official activities, from vehicle use to communication practices.
