A defence official has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the possible security risks associated with Chinese-made cars, while staff have been told to avoid discussing secret matters in all cars.
Security Advice for Defence Staff
During a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about secret information while travelling in China-made vehicles.
He stated 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 Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard replied: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Security Background
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring chaos to public transit.
Additionally, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader defence situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and vigilance in all areas of official activities, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
