An defence official has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Security Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He said that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in all automobile, to only have those secret talks in secure locations. This is a wise and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Security Background
This revelation follows claims from Scandinavian countries have warned the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russia spy ship was reportedly shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
This broader security situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of government operations, including transport use to communication habits.
