A defense minister has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese-made vehicles, while personnel have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
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 classified level in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in all vehicle, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider security environment highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of government operations, from vehicle usage to communication practices.
