A defence official has stated that the MoD is currently looking into the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for Defence Personnel
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese cars.
He stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that security is a issue in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a collection of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, Pollard replied: ‘That’s precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Context
This announcement comes as reports from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly directing lasers at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of official operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
