An defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
He said that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a concern in every modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every cars from China, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The wider security environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, from vehicle use to communication practices.
