A defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been instructed to refrain from talking about secret information in all vehicles.
Security Advice for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD officials have been told not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
He said that the MoD is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but emphasised that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any car, due to the growing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence situation underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government operations, including transport use to discussions practices.
