An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but stressed that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
Our department has a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in all vehicle, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The broader security situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from vehicle usage to discussions practices.
