A defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in all vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
We have a collection of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and cause chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official operations, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
