Norway’s military entered a rental-car contract worth up to NOK 350 million after reviewing security risks and knowing its supplier’s Chinese ownership. But vehicles supplied under the arrangement later recorded soldiers and military access codes during an exercise, putting the adequacy of those procurement safeguards under parliamentary scrutiny.
In a September 28 written response to parliament, Defence Minister Tore Onshuus Sandvik said the 2024 agreement had been assessed by defence procurement and security officials. Ownership was known but judged not to affect vehicle use, so it was not included among the contract requirements.
Sandvik said the agreement contained data-handling protections and that restrictions on sensor-equipped vehicles could be imposed in sensitive areas.
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Ten days later, Dagens Næringsliv reported that Norwegian Home Guard personnel had discovered video stored in rental cars during Exercise Hovedstad, held September 14–18 around Oslo and Akershus. The vehicles reportedly captured movements, occupants, stops, and codes used at military gates.
Lieutenant Fredrik Blanck described the recordings to DN, which also cited two anonymous sources familiar with the incident.
The exercise involved nearly 5,000 troops, according to Norway’s Armed Forces, and included security operations around critical sites. The soldiers continued using the vehicles because alternatives were limited, DN reported.
The recordings were subsequently deleted from the cars, but whether copies were retained or transmitted elsewhere remains unresolved.
The contract, running from June 2024 through May 2028, names First Rent A Car Norway, operator of Hertz Norway, as its primary supplier. Its corporate ownership chain reaches China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group through Volvo Cars. At least two vehicles used in the exercise were reportedly Deepal models, a separate Chinese brand owned by Changan Automobile, not Geely.
Volvo Cars has rejected the suggestion that its Chinese ownership itself creates a security risk. It said data cannot be shared with Geely without a legal basis.
The Armed Forces have said there is no blanket prohibition on vehicles from particular countries. Defence procurement authorities have declined to disclose specific contractual requirements covering cameras, sensors, remote access, and data storage, according to Forsvarets Forum.
Parliamentarians Mahmoud Farahmand and Himanshu Gulati filed separate questions on October 8 seeking details of the pre-exercise risk assessments and safeguards. Gulati’s question was forwarded to the defence minister on October 9. Both remained unanswered as of October 12.
