An defence official has confirmed that the MoD is currently examining the possible security risks posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been told to avoid discussing classified information in any cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Staff
In a recent appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
However whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any car, due to the increasing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to only have those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s precisely what we are looking into at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel was reportedly shining lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider security environment highlights the significance of strong protocols and caution in every aspects of government activities, from vehicle use to communication habits.
