🔗 Share this article

An defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while staff have been instructed to avoid discussing classified information in any vehicles.

Safety Advice for MoD Personnel

During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been instructed not to talk about classified information while riding in China-made vehicles.

The minister explained that the MoD is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, however noted that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.

We have a fleet of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.

However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a classified classification in any car, because of the growing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone concerned about security.

When it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we are looking into at the moment.”

Broader Security Context

The revelation comes as reports 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 public transport and cause chaos to public transit.

Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been shining lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” action by defence officials.

This broader security situation underscores the significance of robust measures and caution in every areas of government operations, from vehicle usage to communication practices.