A defense official has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made vehicles, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard addressed reports that MoD staff have been instructed not to discuss classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “examining” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in every modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
When it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to disable buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
This broader security environment highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, from transport use to discussions habits.
