An defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been instructed to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a issue in every modern vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that exist in all automobile, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”
Broader Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could allow China to switch off buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of official activities, including transport use to communication practices.
