A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible threats associated with Chinese cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret matters in all vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any vehicle, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader security situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
