An defense minister has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in all cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister explained that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in 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 vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.
The broader defence environment highlights the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
