An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
In 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 riding in Chinese vehicles.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of official activities, including transport usage to communication practices.
