An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified information in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of government operations, from vehicle use to communication habits.
