An defense official has stated that the MoD is actively examining the potential threats associated with Chinese cars, and staff have been told to refrain from discussing classified information in any vehicles.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired appearance on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence staff have been instructed not to talk about classified material while travelling in China-made vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but noted that security is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is to avoid connecting MoD technology into their car, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone worried about security.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all cars from China, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Security Background
This announcement comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese buses, which could enable China to disable buses and cause chaos to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The broader defence situation underscores the significance of strong measures and vigilance in every areas of official operations, including vehicle use to communication habits.
