An defence official has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, while staff have been advised to refrain from discussing secret matters in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister explained that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary cars.
Our department has a fleet of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones represent 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 people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, due to the increasing risks of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to only have those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
This broader defence environment underscores the significance of strong protocols and caution in all aspects of official operations, from transport usage to discussions practices.
