A defense official has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to discuss secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and Chinese ones represent a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving 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 classification in any car, because of the growing risks of surveillance that are present in every single vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a wise and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
The revelation follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The broader security environment underscores the significance of robust protocols and caution in every aspects of official activities, from transport usage to communication habits.
