A defense official has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the potential threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified information in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent interview on LBC, a defence minister addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified material while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in every aspects of government operations, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
