A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But 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 devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider defence environment underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of official activities, including transport usage to communication habits.
