A defense minister has revealed that the MoD is currently examining the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid discussing classified matters in all cars.
Security Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but noted that security is a issue in all contemporary cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a very small number.
However regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence technology into their car, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret talks in protected areas. That’s a wise and reasonable thing for anyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be wise for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is exactly what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Defence Background
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to disable public transport and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by defence officials.
The wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and caution in all areas of official operations, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
