A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing secret information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a secret level in any car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by government representatives.
This wider defence environment underscores the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in every areas of official activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
