An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively investigating the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, to avoid having conversations at a classified classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
This announcement follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of official activities, including vehicle usage to communication habits.
