Chinese vehicle alarm in Norwegian army
It was determined that the images and security codes of the soldiers were recorded in the rental vehicles used in the Operation Hovedstad exercise.
Quick Look
It was revealed that the Chinese Deepal brand vehicles rented during the exercise in Norway, in which Heimevernet soldiers participated, recorded the images, routes and security codes of the soldiers.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The Norwegian Defense Logistics Organization has signed a nationwide vehicle rental framework agreement in 2024.
Internal Security Unit (Heimevernet) soldiers in Norway noticed that their images were recorded in the rental vehicles used during the Operation Hovedstad exercise held in September.
According to a report by Dagens Næringsliv, one of Norway's economic newspapers, at least two of the vehicles were models belonging to the Chinese automobile brand Deepal.
Lieutenant Fredrik Blanck, who participated in the exercise, stated that the soldiers noticed the videos recorded in the vehicles and said, "We used these vehicles, and after a while, some careful soldiers noticed that there were videos recorded in the vehicles."
SECURITY CODES SAVED
According to Blanck, in the images it can be seen who entered and exited the vehicle, where the vehicle went, who was taken into the vehicle and how long the vehicle remained at different points.
It was also stated that the security codes used on doors and gates were also recorded.
After the exercise, the records were deleted from the vehicles. However, it is not known whether the data is also stored in other places.
350 MILLION NORWAY KRON RENTAL AGREEMENT
The Norwegian Defense Logistics Organization signed a nationwide vehicle rental framework agreement covering the period June 2024-May 2028 in 2024.
According to Dagens Næringsliv, the maximum value of the deal was set at 350 million Norwegian kroner (about $37 million).
The primary supplier for the deal was First Rent A Car Norway, which operates Hertz Norway. The company's chain of ownership extends to China-based Zhejiang Geely Holding Group.
Modern vehicles can collect a variety of information such as GPS location, driving behavior and sensor data. The Norwegian Defense Materials Agency did not provide information about the terms of the agreement regarding GPS, cameras, sensors, remote access and data storage.
Aleksander Engborg Hage from the Norwegian Defense press unit stated that they are aware of the problems associated with electronic systems and vehicles. "But we do not have a general ban on the use of vehicles from manufacturers of certain countries," Hage said. he said.
A WARNING WAS RECEIVED FROM THE DOMESTIC DEFENSE INDUSTRY
The development in Norway also brought to mind a similar security debate that recently came to the fore in Turkey.
TAI Engine Industry (TEI) General Manager Mahmut Faruk Akşit stated in his statement on October 11 that foreign electric vehicles were not allowed into TEI, ASELSAN, ROKETSAN and HAVELSAN campuses.
Akşit pointed out that the cameras and sensors in these vehicles can map the environment, but the software and control of the vehicles are not in the hands of the institutions.
Following this statement, it was revealed that the rental vehicles used in the military exercise in Norway recorded the images, movement routes and security codes of the soldiers, bringing the risks of connected vehicles in terms of data security to the agenda again.
Open Questions
- Was recorded data stored elsewhere after being deleted from the vehicles?
