An defence minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made cars.
He stated that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the increasing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader defence situation highlights the importance of strong protocols and caution in every areas of official activities, including transport usage to communication practices.
