A defence official has revealed that the MoD is currently looking into the possible threats associated with Chinese-made cars, and personnel have been advised to avoid discussing classified information in any cars.
Security Advice for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified information while travelling in China-made cars.
He explained that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that safety is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone worried 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 exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use shutdown mechanisms in Chinese buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by defence officials.
The wider security situation underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of official operations, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
