A defence minister has revealed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the MoD is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any car, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using every cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
The announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off public transport and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
